Author Archives: Frostie

The Crazy Nature of Human Communication: The Importance of Being Mindful of The Moment

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By Dr Rajan Sankaran, author of Dog, Yogi, Banyan Tree

Arriving at the lift of my building one evening, I met a neighbour who was known for his rudeness and for putting others down, while blowing his own trumpet. If someone from the building met him somewhere he would ignore them and walk away with his nose in the air. I tried to be a good neighbour and greeted him in a friendly manner asking him how he was.

When he perfunctorily asked me how I was, I thought it might help bridge some of the gap between us to share something. I said, “the younger of my two sons has gone to the USA to study, and with both my sons gone I feel an emptiness in the house.” Instead of some words of empathy or enquiring what my sons were studying, he pointed out that now my sons had left, the alterations that I had made to my apartment, which he had advised against, were now useless. He went on to mention that the alterations were probably illegal.

I was taken aback by this comment. I had tried to be a good neighbour and this was the response! This thought kept going on in my mind all day. So, when later I met another neighbour who is a friendly person, I told him about the incident. I wanted to share with him my experience of the rudeness and insensitivity of the other man.

Instead of seeing where I was coming from, he immediately was concerned about the plans of my apartment that he said he had seen some time ago. He told me that he was quite sure there was nothing illegal about the changes I had made to the apartment.

Stepping back from these experiences; I observed how the three of us saw the same thing in entirely different ways. I was lonely because my sons were away. I tried to convey this to my neighbour, who wanted to find some way to put me down. Then the second neighbour who heard all this, saw it from a completely different perspective: namely, the legality of the changes in my home.

Though I know somewhere that each one of us has his own perspective and that there is no objective reality, my mindfulness in the above incident made this very clear. Each individual comes from who they are and how they perceive things.

There are so many perceptions in one reality. When we communicate with each other, it is actually each one of us talking to himself. We hardly hear the other one. We are hearing ourselves all the time. It is like an orchestra where each musician is playing his own melody.

By stepping back and becoming a witness to the whole phenomenon, I got an insight into how stuck each one of us is in his own inner pattern of perception. I also realized the crazy nature of human communication.

Dr Rajan Sankaran is an internationally-famed homeopath, spiritual thinker and practitioner of holistic healing. His new book, ‘Dog, Yogi, Banyan Tree’ is an insightful and inspirational chronicle of personal and spiritual self-discovery. It is available now in paperback from Amazon UK, priced £21 and published by Homoeopathic Medical Publishers. For more information visit www.dogyogibanyantree.com

Win a copy of Dog, Yogi, Banyan Tree by Dr Rajan Sankaran

We have three copies of Dog, Yogi, Banyan Tree by Dr Rajan Sankaran, usually priced £21, to give away. To be in with a chance of winning follow frost on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/frostmag, just email frostmagazine@gmail.com with your name and address. The three lucky winners will be notified by 3rd November and will receive their prizes shortly thereafter.

 

Coping with Hyperemesis Gravidarum – mums speak out on severe morning sickness

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As news of the Duchess of Cambridge’s third pregnancy makes waves across the nation, we are reminded of the realities of morning sickness and its level of severity in some rare cases.  The UK’s leading support resource for mums to be Emma’s Diary, (verified by the RCGP – Royal College of General Practitioners), has spoken to several mums suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (which affects 1 in 100 pregnant women) about their experiences, in a series of candid interviews.

Around 80% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness (and despite its misleading name, it doesn’t just happen in the morning).  For some, like the Duchess of Cambridge, extreme vomiting triggered by pregnancy can be severe, even life threatening for those diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). In a bid to share their stories and raise awareness of this less common condition, these mums have spoken out to warn others that if you believe you are suffering from extreme sickness, not to be fobbed off by suggestions that ‘it’s normal’, because it might not be the case:

Bella Drew from Norwich in Norfolk said:

“My baby is due in just over two weeks time. The moment I first found out I was expecting, my heart filled with excitement but that was soon to be diminished a week later.  My experience of so-called ‘morning sickness’ started at around three weeks, I couldn’t keep anything down but I was told that was normal.  As my suffering worsened I was put on medication which didn’t really help in my opinion.  I had lost around two and a half stone, had sustained haemorrhages within my eyes from the straining while being sick. 

I was being sick every 15 minutes throughout the day and night.  I was bedridden and eventually I gave up.  I couldn’t cope anymore and I was admitted to hospital diagnosed with HG. Despite all of the recent media attention the condition is still massively misunderstood. I wouldn’t wish this debilitating illness on anyone and we really need to spread more awareness of the impact and symptoms of HG.” 

Emma Eaton from Gosport in Hampshire said:

“I am pregnant and am currently suffering with HG; I was also hospitalised for two weeks in my last pregnancy having almost died from starvation and dehydration.  I have been in and out of hospital numerous times during my current pregnancy to have IV fluids and IV anti-emetics to help control the symptoms. I have to take two different types of tablets to help prevent me from being sick as I have been physically passing out and collapsing – also knocking myself out in the process. I believe there needs to be much greater awareness of this life-threatening condition amongst pregnant women and those who are planning to have children.”

Gemma Edwards from Walsall in West Midlands said:

“I was diagnosed with HG with all three of my pregnancies which has left me with some long term health problems. I am losing my teeth due to the impact of the stomach acid because I was vomiting anything from 20 to 50 times a day. I was also hospitalised for weeks on end with ketoneuria (ketones in my urine – a sign of dehydration) and my veins kept collapsing, this condition made me very ill and my kidneys went into pre-failure meaning my life was at risk and also that of my children.  This is a very serious condition and more awareness of the long term health risks it poses is much needed.”

Many women who are diagnosed with HG say they can’t keep anything down. They can also lose a lot of weight and fluids and sometimes have to be admitted to hospital for re-hydration treatment as well as require antiemetic medication to stop the vomiting.  In terms of adverse effects on the baby, experts say there are usually very few unless weight gain continues to be poor during the second half of pregnancy; or indeed the symptoms are more severe over a sustained period of time.

Sufferers of HG reported:

  • Extreme fatigue
  • Muscle weakness
  • Weight loss
  • Depressed mood
  • Tooth loss
  • Kidney failure
  • Severe dehydration (with ketones present in urine)
  • Disturbed salts in the blood
  • Eye haemorrhages
  • Long term health issues

Dr Shauna Fannin FRCGP, Chair of the Editorial Board at Emma’s Diary said: “Every pregnancy is different and whilst pregnancy sickness is extremely common, Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) only affects 1% of pregnant women and is a condition at the extreme end of the pregnancy sickness scale. HG sufferers will vomit frequently and can become dehydrated very quickly so it is very important to seek urgent medical advice.”

Faye Mingo, mum of two and Marketing Director at Emma’s Diary said: “It’s really brave for these women to speak out and share their experiences with others.  What is apparent is a desire to build greater awareness on the topic of HG and to dispel any myths about what is considered to be ‘normal’, the message from most of the mums we spoke to is to trust your instincts and to keep pushing for medical support if you believe you or your pregnancy might be at risk.”

 

National Poetry Day Kicks off with new BBC poetry festival and report of boom in poetry book sales

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National Poetry Day, the world’s greatest celebration of poetry, will see a mass outbreak of verse today. The BBC is celebrating National Poetry Day across all its channels, as are Visit England, Art UK, Virgin Trains, Royal Mail, Twitter, the V&A and thousands of schools, libraries, pubs, bus routes, museums and railway stations: the celebrations will be impossible to ignore.

 

Poetry is booming! This year marked the best sales on record for poetry books in both volume and value: since January, sales are up by 10 per cent on the same period last year, driven by a new appetite for the work of living poets with strong online followings, including Rupi Kaur and Hollie McNish. Poetry, according to Nielsen BookScan, is now challenging prose on the bestseller lists, boosted by the popularity of both live and recorded performances and strong followings on Instagram and Twitter. In May, Manchester’s resilience under attack found voice in a much-shared spoken-word poem by “Longfella”, in June, thousands cheered Kate Tempest at Glastonbury: poetry, whether provocation or consolation, has never felt so present.

 

National Poetry Day also sees the launch of a major new four-day poetry festival (Contains Strong Language) in Hull 2017 UK City of Culture, a partnership with the BBC, Hull UK City of Culture, Humber Mouth, Arts Council England, British Council, National Poetry Day and other poetry organisations. The festival stars a line-up of 17 innovative poets, the Hull 17, and will feature more than 50 events across 8 venues, including performances by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Cooper Clarke, Kate Tempest and a mammoth washing line of poetry created from 2017 new poems about city landmarks written by Hull residents.

 

There will be hundreds of events across the UK and Ireland including many responding to the invitation to ‘share a poem’ on social media.

 

For a second year running National Poetry Day has partnered with BBC Local Radio. Taking their cue from National Poetry Day’s 2017 theme – Freedom – BBC Local Radio stations across England called on listeners to ‘Free the Word’ by nominating a distinctive local word that deserves to be better known nationally. The final selection was made with the help of lexicographers from the Oxford English Dictionary, on the look out for new definitions and usages to fill the gaps in the dictionary’s overview of the English language.

 

12 local words are now the inspiration for 12 new local poems, to be broadcast across the BBC network today: among the words selected are cheeselog, meaning a woodlouse (Hollie McNish, BBC Radio Berkshire) and bobowler, a West Midlands’ word for a large moth (Liz Berry, BBC WM) and mardy (moody) from Leicester listeners (Toby Campion, BBC Radio Leicester). BBC Radio Cumbria chose to twine (to complain) for their poet Kate Hale. BBC Radio Leeds’ poet Vidyan Ravinthiran, will take a poetic walk down a ginnel (alleyway), BBC Radio Devon’s listeners chose an evocative word to describe twilight – dimpsy – for local poet Chrissy Williams. Finally, the capital’s first Young People’s Laureate Caleb Femi has turned fam, the street slang address for a friend, into a poem for BBC Radio London.

 

Poet Isaiah Hull has woven all 12 words into a bravura poem-of-poems, commissioned and broadcast as part of the Contains Strong Language festival.

 

BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Scotland are also joining in the fun. BBC Radio Scotland’s Poet in Residence Stuart Paterson has penned a poem Here’s the Weather which contains a flurry of the 700 words nominated by listeners, as well as the word topping the poll – dreich – meaning dreary weather; while the word cwtch, a hug in Welsh, was chosen by Sophie McKeand, Young People’s Laureate for Wales, for her poem.

 

National Poetry Day has also announced its first ever dedicated book trade promotion highlighting 40 inspiring poetry books in four wide-ranging categories: anthologies, children’s poetry, current collections and poetry for book groups. The campaign’s aim – to enable all to enjoy, discover and share poetry and titles include William Sieghart’s The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Mind, Heart and Soul (Penguin Press), Plum (Picador) by Ted Hughes Award-winning Hollie McNish and Milk and Honey by bestselling insta-poet Rupi Kaur.

Visit England is focussing its ‘Literary Heroes’ campaign on poets and poetry this month, commissioning poets Andrew McMillan and Remi Graves to rework much-loved classics for the 21st century. Andrew has transplanted Wordsworth’s daffodils to urban Manchester and Remi will use Blake’s London to explore Kings Cross. Films of their new poems are released today for National Poetry Day.

 

Art UK, the online home for every work of public art in the UK, announces the winner of its Art Speaks competition, open to young poets aged 13 to 24, for a filmed poem about any picture in public ownership: Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith’s The Disrobing (Despoiling) of Christ (after El Greco) at Scarborough Art Gallery was the inspiration for 22 year-old civil servantAmani Saeed’s winning poem “Jesus Christ Goes Clubbing”; while poet and DJ James Massiah has created a 1 minute poem for giffgaff, the youth-focused mobile phone network which is cheap, flexible and speaks to “freedom”, fitting perfectly with this year’s theme. At the V&A in London the visitor experience team will be reciting poetry alongside relevant art works throughout the day.

 

On board staff of Virgin Trains will be including poetry in their announcements on the day and Poet in the City presents Sound of the Underground: 9 poets across 5 London Underground stations reading poetry exploring this year’s theme of freedom and travel; while Royal Mail is postmarking millions of items of mail nationwide with National Poetry Day 28 September: an honour reserved only for special occasions and significant events.

 

Glasgow will mark the day with pop-up poetry events across the city; in Yorkshire, the number 59 bus route from Wakefieldto Barnsley will be taken over by poets and musicians, while Bradford, Unesco City of Film, will feature poems on its Big Screen. St Pancras Station, the Old Vic Theatre, Soho’s L’Escargot restaurant and Cassandra Goad’s jewellery shop on Sloane Street are just four of many London venues putting poetry before the public in surprising and delightful ways.

 

Susannah Herbert, National Poetry Day says: “A poem gives people the freedom to play with words, to rub off the dull tarnish until they’re fresh as new pennies. That’s why the BBC’s push to get poets to celebrate the nation’s favourite local words has struck such a chord with the nation. Everyone who shares a poem today, whether in a tweet, a nursery rhyme or a note on the fridge, is pushing back against the deadening regime of prose and striking a blow for the imagination.”

 

Expect impromptu pop-up poetry festivals in thousands of unexpected places, from shops, streets and offices to doctors’ waiting rooms and postal sorting offices. Ricky Gervais, J K Rowling, Paul McCartney, Stephen Hawking, George RR Martin and Ellen DeGeneres are among the hundreds of thousands of poetry-lovers who have shared poems they love on past National Poetry Day via Twitter.  Last year the hashtag #nationalpoetryday had a 520 million reach, trending #1 across the globe on the day.

 

National Poetry Day is co-ordinated by the Forward Arts Foundation, an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation that celebrates poetry and promotes it as part of everyday life.

 

With Macmillan Children’s Books, it has nominated 18 poets as National Poetry Day Ambassadors, with special responsibility for igniting enthusiasm nationwide by visiting schools, organizing events and competitions and writing new work on the theme of Freedom. Their new poems have been collected as a free downloadable eBook Freedom: A National Poetry Day Book available from the National Poetry Day website, alongside posters, lesson plans and ‘freedom’ images from artist/poet Sophie Herxheimer.

 

For further information, visit http://nationalpoetryday.co.uk

Follow on social media using #NationalPoetryDay

 

Advice on still being a socialite when quitting smoking

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If you’re in the process of quitting smoking but class yourself as a socialite — this quiz to discover your smoker profile from Nicotinell should help establish if you are indeed a social smoker — you may find yourself questioning what this will mean for your social calendar.

This guide will explain how you can continue to be a socialite without the need to smoke:

There are links between smoking and alcohol

Before we advise you about how you can continue to socialise while being smoke-free, it is important to point out the close link between smoking and drinking alcohol.

At the extreme, government data has found that up to 90 per cent of people who are addicted to alcohol will also smoke. Furthermore, smokers have been found to be more likely to drink and have a 2.7 times greater risk of becoming dependent on alcohol than non-smokers do.

In general, it is important to understand that both alcohol and nicotine act on common mechanisms found in the human brain.

When it comes to nicotine, the chemical compound will enter the bloodstream as soon as you smoke a cigarette and rapidly get transported to your brain. Once there, the nicotine will stimulate the brain by creating receptors which release chemicals that give a feeling of pressure. These receptors will increase in number as smoking becomes prolonged and your brain will become reliant on nicotine in order to release these feel-good chemicals.

However, the nicotine supply in your bloodstream will drop within 72 hours of your decision to quit smoking — those receptors won’t disappear that quickly though, so your brain’s chemistry will react to cause powerful cravings and strong emotional reactions. Persistence is key, as nicotine receptors will go away with time and your brain chemistry should be back to normal within three months of a quit.

In regards to alcohol, researchers believe this substance fosters feeling of pleasure. If true, this reinforces the effects of nicotine on the brain. There are suggestions that nicotine and alcohol will moderate each other’s effects on the brain due to the fact that nicotine stimulates while alcohol sedates.

Tips for socialising when on a quit-smoking journey

So, you have taken the first step and stopped smoking, but now face the dilemma of socialising in a scenario where you would have previously had a cigarette. Here’s how to stick to your goals and still have a good time:

Don’t put it off

You shouldn’t delay going out for a drink because you’re having doubts. Everything you did as a smoker, you can do as a former smoker. Holding off too long from social drinking after quitting can create a sense of intimidation. Plus, socialising with friends is an important part of your life. The sooner you teach yourself how to enjoy a drink or two without a cigarette, the sooner you’ll feel like your life is back to normal.

Have a pep talk with yourself

Where you go to enjoy a drink could very well trigger your smoking cravings. Before leaving the house or in the car, be mentally prepared by saying aloud, “I’m a former smoker.” Or try, “I don’t smoke. I’m healthier and happier without cigarettes.” The main point is to remind yourself that you’re a former smoker and that you don’t need to light up anymore.

Aim to have a social get-together where no smoking is involved

Instead of going to a place where people are likely to be smoking, why not invite your group of friends to your house instead? You can celebrate your smoke-free success with them. You’ll be able to control what is served which can help stop those triggers and completely avoid cigarettes in your smoke-free home.

Enjoy time with non-smokers

Non-smokers and friends who will be supporting your decision to stop smoking will definitely help. Who you choose to hang out with can help support your ex-smoking status. Slip-ups can occur when quitters are in the company of other smokers who may not be aware of how to support their quit attempt.

Invite a quit buddy to join you

A friend or family member can prove a huge helping hand as your quit buddy, so be sure to invite them along to whatever social event you’re attending. A quit buddy is someone who supports your quit. Should you encounter old smoking friends who ask you to join them, make sure they are aware of your situation so they can be respectful. Not only that, you’ll also have your quit buddy to hang out with.

 

The Holiday Home Industry and Brexit

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Greenway – Agatha Christie’s holiday home

Whether you are new to the market or a holiday letting expert, you should be aware of the changes in the political arena that have resulted in a decline in the purchase of family homes abroad.

Staycation is the new vacation as booking a lodge in the lakes or renting a flat it Manchester replaces the annual trip abroad. But combined with increasing competition from owners renting, in order to offset mortgage and maintenance cost, getting those bookings has never been so important in the holiday home industry.

Commercial gas retailers Flogas, give us an insight into the holiday home market and what holiday home owners can do to maximise their profits.

How Brexit has affected the holiday home market.

With the current Brexit vote and negotiations are well underway with the European Union, attitudes towards holidays and purchasing homes abroad are changing.

Homeowners and Brexit

With this country being always welcoming and accommodating to Brits, Spain always appears to be a first choice when UK residents decide that they want to purchase a holiday home. In 2016, UK buyers made up 19% of home purchases in Spain by non-Spaniards – it’s quite an impressive figure considering how many nationalities choose to go there for their holiday. However, this figure has almost halved since 2008 when it stood at 38%, which begs the question why?

With economic and political uncertainty in mind, Brits are becoming more reluctant to take the plunge and relocate abroad. It’s found that recently, the decline of pounds has meant that people cannot afford to buy the holiday home that they’ve had their eyes on.

Holidaymakers and Brexit

The decrease of the pound has also influenced the attitudes of holiday makers. More people of Britain are opting to take a holiday within the country to save money. Although research showed that they are spending less money on their staycations that what they’re use to, so the income is coming in elsewhere. Foreign tourists are coming over to take advantage of the lower rate of the pound and boosting the UK economy in that way.

Because the implications of Brexit haven’t been fully covered yet, holidaymakers are feeling unsure in other areas too. As of now, Brits are free to travel throughout Europe without restrictions and with access to healthcare. However, this could all change and it will further affect our holiday habits.

How can you get more visitors to your holiday home?

If you already own a holiday home abroad, you may be witnessing visitor levels slowing. What can you do to encourage visitors to come and stay in your home?

Online Visibility

If you don’t have a website or blog, you could be losing out on many customers from around the globe that didn’t know about your site. Even a basic website that includes photos, customer reviews and contact information could boost your online presence and revenues.

Consider social media, as it’s  quite a successful way to show off your holiday home and increase interest, you can offer promotions such as competitions to get people ‘sharing’ and engaging with the company.

Creating memories

The atmosphere when a customer enters your holiday home is an important element because it’s something that stays with them and this is often mentioned in online reviews. To improve this; greet guests at the accommodation if you live nearby to provide them with keys and show them around the area, offer complimentary wine and provide a map of the local area and any tips for their trip.

Maintenance cost management

You may be weighing up your options for purchasing a holiday letting property or maybe, you are looking to remain profitable. Either way, it is important to consider the costs involved with maintaining a holiday home. Of course, utility bills and mortgage payments are often considered top of the list however, there are some that are often forgotten about: cleaning fees can be between £40 – £80 per booking, a welcome kit costs £10 – £15 an agency may charge you 20-25% of your monthly income and there are gardening and window cleaning costs on top of these too.

It seems that if you are aspiring to own a holiday home, you should invest in a home in the UK – where tourism is on the rise from both foreign tourists and UK residents. For holiday home owners abroad, ensure you are maintaining your online presence and managing your costs as effectively as possible. Hopefully the effects of Brexit will become clearer soon enough and the holiday home industry will know where they stand.

Sources

http://www.lowlandlettings.co.uk/what-are-the-weekly-running-costs-of-a-holiday-let/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/08/27/staycations-foreign-visitors-provide-brexit-boost/

 

 

The Deferred Academic By Richard Warburton

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This summer I am awaiting the result of my MA dissertation.  It has been a testing year academically, a serious step up from the BA I completed last year.  Life as a student has come to an end.  My young colleagues will be starting out in their careers, but when I graduate I will be 45 years old.

The decision to resurrect my aborted academic pursuits came after redundancy and a long summer of doing little else but painting the house and listening to test matches.  Job hunting was arduous and unsuccessful.  My wife suggested some education and within five minutes of idle googling I had spotted an undergraduate course at the University of Portsmouth in film studies and creative writing – perfect.  Term began in less than a month and I had serious doubts whether they would be interested in a middle-aged man with a mixed bag of exam results and two hedonistic years in the early 90s at Swansea University.

Nevertheless they accepted me straight away.  I simply had to find some evidence of my A-Level results, apply for funding and buy an A4 pad and a pen.

Induction day was weird.  Suddenly surrounded by hordes of nervous and excitable teenagers I felt every inch the outsider.  Over the three years I watched them slouching about campus guzzling energy drinks and very occasionally visiting the library.  I had dreaded rubbing shoulders with today’s much-maligned youth but I found they were largely a delightful, if somewhat sensitive, bunch.  I became something of an essay guru and found much of my free time was spent reading their work providing advice, and correcting their free spirited approach to grammar and punctuation.

The academic life suited me and I did well from the start.  I had advantages though, including decades of watching and reading about film as well as more life experience to bring to the creative writing work.  The lecturers were awe-inspiring although not all of their audiences were so appreciative.  Attendances were poor in the mornings and I saw two people actually nod off in class.  My other key asset was a renewed fervor for learning.  When I dropped out of Swansea I was weary of lessons and timetables and the real world beckoned with its allure of independence and grown-up city life.  Twenty years later I was hungry again.

Lectures and seminars were the highlight of my week.  I contributed, took notes and asked pertinent questions.  The library was incredible with thousands of books on cinema.  Online resources were equally staggering and I immersed myself in as much of it as I could.  The student paper provided me with a useful outlet for decades of cinematic ruminations that manifested itself in over forty articles and reviews.  The editor was grateful for anyone who could write and published everything I sent him.

When I handed in my bound dissertation on The Existential Hollywood Hero I felt mildly bereaved.  Without any vital research to do or articles to write I felt distinctly uneasy at the prospect of re-joining the real world that had looked so enticing in my youth.  So with the blessing of a very understanding wife I applied for an MA in Film and Philosophy at King’s College London.  The work was much more demanding and the students all exceptionally bright.

Now I am sated.  No PhD for me, tempting as it is.  Other projects await.  Throughout my time at university, puzzled contemporaries would nod politely at my descriptions of the course then ask, “But what are you going to do with it?”  They are missing the point.  I’ve just spent the last four years having the most fun in my life.  Beat that.

 

The Soft(er) Side of Stephen King By Richard Warburton

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Via YouTube.

Many of you will have noticed the posters for the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s It.  Some feature a sinister red balloon being proffered to a small boy while others show the eponymous killer clown’s grotesque face – a malevolent grinning monster.  This sort of thing sends me bolting to the nearest Cineworld while others avert their eyes and try to think nice thoughts.  However, for all you cinephiles who don’t ‘do’ horror, then Stephen King’s cinematic canon does offer pleasures that are not so reliant on scares and gore.

It was probably the success of The Exorcist that gave King his break.  William Friedkin’s occult shocker was the second most popular film of 1974 eventually becoming the ninth highest grossing movie of all time.  Publishing houses took note and signed the likes of Anne Rice and James Herbert.  Over sixty cinematic adaptations of his work have been filmed which have varied wildly in terms of quality and revenues.  Nevertheless, amongst the horror classics like Carrie or The Shining there are several sensitive and thoughtful films that may interest viewers put off by the King brand.

Discussions of this subject usually begin and sometimes end with prison drama The Shawshank Redemption.  No supernatural monsters here, just the human variety in a film that accents perseverance and hope in the face of institutionalised brutality.  Instead, I would consider Stand By Me, a tale of four young boys who set out into the woods to search for the body of a missing child.  The film captures something that Stephen King renders so well in his prose, that is the exhilaration, vulnerability and confusion of what it is to be a kid.  Ironically King masters these themes in It and the latest film does a solid job of conveying childish camaraderie in the face of undiluted evil.

Of course It is not for the squeamish so next I would turn to Hearts in Atlantis which stars Anthony Hopkins as an elderly psychic who becomes the confidante of his landlady’s son.  It’s a curiously old fashioned film that played poorly in cinemas and divided critics.  However, its whimsical charms should win over the less cynical while its supernatural elements never dominate what is really a simple coming-of-age story.

Dolores Claiborne is a sombre and profound psychological mystery starring Jennifer Jason Leigh as the daughter of the eponymous Dolores played by Cathy Bates.  Dolores is the prime suspect in the suspicious death of her frosty employer and her estranged daughter is not convinced of her mother’s innocence either.  The mother / daughter relationship is delicately teased out.  King’s empathetic depictions of women, something rarely appreciated in his writing, are on show here.  And, despite the gothic gloom, Dolores Claiborne tightens its grip over two mesmerising hours.

Horror fans would no doubt be disappointed if they watched these films based on their familiarity of King’s signature output.  They might take some solace from another prison drama, The Green Mile, with its graphic execution scenes but the film spends more of its time examining humanity and dignity than revelling in shock and gore.

There is more diversity to Stephen King than his reputation suggests.  If you are willing to dip your toe into an unfamiliar genre then reading the long and terrific novel of It would be a rewarding starting point.  The film adaptation is the first of two with the second part due to go into production next year.  And, if you are curious as to why horror is such a popular genre then the upcoming book Why Horror Seduces by Mathias Clasen should provide the answers.

 

Living with less: Do you Dare?

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The decision to downsize never comes easy, but luckily, almost always it turns out to be the greatest thing. The mere thought of moving is horrifying enough, not to mention the planning, organization, and decision making along the way. Scary as it sounds, it is a venture that many people undertake for a reason and, as you can guess already, it is worth it. Same as for any big change in life, it is a process that is complicated and even exhausting, but on the other hand, a change of lifestyle in ‘’less’’ direction will turn out to be liberating and rewarding in so many ways.

Before the move

Moving starts weeks ahead, even months in some cases. Organizing a project big as this takes the time to make a detailed plan, especially when downsizing. Go through the rooms and slowly begin to say good bye by choosing the stuff that will not end up in your new home. If you are moving with your family, make sure you have an agreement on downsizing goals so that you could avoid misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Now is the time to picture the style of new home and to move forward by eliminating the stuff which will not fit in.

Determine your needs

Know your needs and decide on the spot what goes and what stays. For example, if you are moving from a house with three bedrooms to a condo with one, the math is simple. Assuming you know the measurements of a new home, make sure that your belongings will fit the place, especially big pieces of furniture. Make an inventory of essentials that you will require in your new place and get rid of the all the rest. Cruel thing to do, but if downsizing already, why not doing it right. Downsize on everything you own, including furniture, clothes, accessories or home appliances.

Monetize your efforts

One of the obvious benefits of ‘’less’’ is the lower cost of living in general. Since it is one of the most important motifs of downsizing, take a step further and earn some money by organizing a yard sale and cash in all the unwanted items. Being reasonable and consistent with this exhausting process deserves a reward, so treat yourself with some extra pocket money that you can wisely invest in your new home. Donate some stuff to charity and remember that your junk will bring a smile to someone’s face.

Assess new storage area

People often overlook or overestimate new storage area ending up with more stuff than planned in a less place than previously thought. By knowing measurements of storage places in the new home, you will know how many things to dispose of and avoid cluttering the space. However, it is possible that there won’t be enough room for all of your possessions. For that matter, consider renting a storage where you’ll store your belongings away, but still in the reach, if needed. Before you rent a storage check on their standards and safety issues, but rest assure that the most of the best affordable storage solutions provide good storing conditions as well as video surveillance.

Move

Make sure to move the furniture first and put it in its designated place. That way you will deal with the heaviest pieces in the very beginning and still have the energy for the rest of the stuff while at the same time you’ll get a better indication where the smaller items will go. Moving the furniture first will give you an immediate a sense of home plus, it will be easier to organize the rest of incoming stuff. Label the boxes while packing so that you can put them in their respective rooms when moving. Organize things as you unpack which won’t be much of the trouble if you bring only essentials.

Spruce up your new place

The new home is a chance for a completely new style and interior design. Now is the time to make your home functional and sophisticated by going minimal. Repurpose old furniture or have a new one that will be a better match. Make sure to get pieces with hidden storage, such as coffee tables, couches, etc. A clever use of space is a must so go vertical when storing things and install some nice shelves.

Make room bigger

Use tricks to make the room more spacious than it is. Uncover the floor and place smaller rugs. Uncover windows too and allow as many natural lights as possible. Place the mirrors on the walls and use lighter colors of fabrics. Choose stripes or some geometrical patterns since they elongate the space. A proper lighting will give a room completely new look in the evening hours. Avoid excessive accessory and beautify the room with minimal and tasteful decoration.

Conclusion

While still in the process of downsizing, no matter how scary it seemed at first, you will soon realize the advantages and the truth that lies behind the ‘’less is more’’. Changes are inevitable so why not changing for the better. Downsizing brings a relief regarding the expenses and provides a new opportunity to start over again somewhere else. Not to mention the joy of cleaning and simplicity of maintaining order in much smaller space. Whatever the reasons for downsizing are, be an optimist, embrace the change and take this chance to improve the quality of life.

 

By Ian Pearson