Friday 4 November 2011

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice


Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'Long-distance relationship - worth it?':

“Is it worth being in a long-distance relationship?  Well, obviously every case and every situation is unique and different, and there is no single answer that would apply to every single relationship.  However, there are several important questions that you should ask yourself that will really help you determine whether your long-distance relationship is worth having and worth continuing putting in the effort into.

The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not you are in that relationship for the right reasons.  Are you in that long-distance relationship because you feel that that other person is so special to you and it’s such a rare opportunity and you have these strong feelings that you haven’t had in a while for anybody (or you’ve never had for anybody)?  Or are you in that relationship because you’re lonely and you have been lonely for a while and you feel that you don’t have any other options than having that relationship?  With a person by email, or by phone; somebody you hardly ever see – having that is better than nothing.  If the latter is the case, it’s probably the wrong reason to be in a long-distance relationship, because you’re feeding a certain hope that’s probably bound to fail for you and for that other person, and your efforts are probably better spent looking for a relationship where you can see each other more often or as often as you can.

The second question you should ask yourself is whether or not there is a real probability that you will be able to see each other more often in the foreseeable future.  If both of you have plans to make things work out and to move closer together and to be able to see each other more often, that’s great and that’s something wonderful to look forward to.  However, if both of you don’t have any such plans; you’re not willing to change your life and nothing is likely to change about the lives of both of you, then there’s probably no point to continue developing feelings for each other because the le - the longer it will last, the more painful the break-up or the end of that communication will be.

And the last factor you should consider is how difficult it is, time-wise and financially, for you to make an effort to see each other.  For some people, it’s not a big deal.  I know a number of people who live in the East Coast and they come to see their partner on the West Coast, and they do it every weekend and it’s not a big deal.  Buying a flight ticket is not that big of a deal for them; they’re used to travelling and flying all the time for work, so it’s not an obstacle.  For other people, driving an hour could be an obstacle.  It could be too expensive and/or it could be too time-consuming, and it’s really hard for them to make it.  So, the financial consideration is also something you should keep in mind.

So, if you are in a situation where you have a long –distance relationship and you’re considering whether it’s worth making an effort and it’s worth continuing to stay in touch with that other person, ask yourself these three basic questions and it will really help you determine whether you should continue, especially if you are being honest with yourself and with the other person.  Thank you.”

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice

Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'Avoiding "Tell me about yourself"':

“‘Tell me about yourself?’  This is a very common question when people meet for the first time or on a first date, and the same answer always follows: ‘Well, what would you like to know?’

You cannot prevent other people from asking this question, but you can certainly make sure that you don’t ask others ‘Tell me about yourself?’ when you go out with them.  This question adds nothing good to your conversation – again, because the other person will necessarily tell you, ‘Well, what would you like to know?’

Instead, why not ask something more interesting and something more specific?  Such as, ‘Hey, how do you like your school programme?’ or ‘How do you like living in that neighbourhood?’ or ‘How did you like this new movie that just came out that you told me you recently watched?’  This will be much better than asking this generic, cliché, and lazy question: ‘Tell me about yourself?’

Thank you.”

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice


Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'For women: Your looks VS. personality':

"It is often suggested that guys care more about looks when it comes to meeting a woman for the first time, or even seeing a woman for the first time, while women care more about personality when it comes to their initial interactions with the opposite sex.  While this might be true to a certain extent – and of course, men by nature are more visually stimulated than women – there is an important caveat (?) to this that you as a woman should know when it comes to dating and long-term relationships.  And even if what I say is gonna sounds obvious, I think it’s still worthwhile for you to hear.

A woman’s attractiveness, and a woman’s looks, might attract a guy initially and keep his interest for a short while, but that’s not what’s gonna make the guy stick around and wanna be in a longer-term relationship with you.  Now, why is that?  Well, I am sure that you’re not gonna be surprised to hear that there are a lot of attractive women out there.  Go to any club, any bar, any restaurant, any yoga class, or any other class, and you will see plenty of beautiful girls.  Some of them are extremely attractive.  So, no matter how beautiful you are, there is always gonna be someone else out there who is just as attractive or more attractive than you are.

Now, the good news is that far fewer women out there who are attractive have the inside to match their outside.  Very few of them have the personality that’s-that’s just as beautiful as their looks.  Now, if all you have is your looks, and your personality’s average, so to speak, or below, why would the guy wanna stick around?  Why wouldn’t he be looking for someone funnier?  Someone more interesting; somebody who enjoys - who he enjoys spending time with more; somebody who he enjoys talking to; having dinners and doing others things…more.  The same applies to you – you want the company that’s interesting; that’s stimulating to you; somebody who’s entertaining, who is also smart and challenging.  So, your personality is what’s gonna make the guy stick around – make no mistake about it.  There’s nothing you can do about your looks to make a guy wanna be around you for months or for years or even to marry you, but it’s your exceptional personality that’s gonna make the guy realise, “Oh, wow…she’s not like most others that I have met or I have dated before – she’s someone very unique; she’s someone very special; she’s someone that - unlike anyone I have ever met…  She’s a great listener; she gets my jokes; she dishes out…jokes of her own; she can relate to what I’m talking about; she’s very knowledgeable; she seems to be accomplished, but at the same time she’s mo-modest; she has a good…style; she’s well-spoken, and at the same time she’s not very loud; er, she treats me well; she seems to like me; she seems to be open and outgoing when the time is right; erm, she seems to have other qualities about her – other than her looks – that make her stand out from the rest of the attractive women”.  And that’s what would make the guy go, “Oh, wow, she is…not someone I’m gonna meet again very soon, so I better take this seriously; I better get to know her and I better see if she might be my life-time partner”.  Thank you."

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice


Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'Money and your relationship':

"One of the more common – if not the most common – reason for problems and stress in relationships is financial issues.  It’s the problems that couples deal with when it comes to not making enough money or spending too money or having too much debt…  And, while there might not be a way to quickly, to immediately solve your financial p-problems and make more money or completely eliminate your debt over night, there is one thing – there is one simple thing you can do in order to address those issues between the two of you far more effectively.  And that is: beginning to recognise the importance of money to you and to your relationship.  Too many people out there run around and like to announce to others that they don’t care about money; money means nothing to them – they only care about love, art, their dreams, and other things but not money.  If you don’t feel comfortable admitting to yourself and to others that money is important to you, then you will not be able to openly talk about the issues that you have with your partner…whether it’s your spending habits; whether it’s your saving habits; your investments; and the major purchases that you make.  If you - if you’re in denial about the importance and the value of finances in your life, you’re not gonna be able to address the issues that you have effectively.  But once you accept and once you start feeling comfortable talking about the fact that money and savings and investment plans and reducing debt, and perhaps getting a promotion – the moment you start admitting to yourself and to your partner that that’s important to you and to your relationship, and it affects your love and how you feel about each other (to some extent), you will be way ahead of being able to…get over the disagreements that you have when it comes to money, and find more common ground on how to deal with issues.  And when you work together on the financial challenges that you have, you’re far more likely to solve them.  Thank you."

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice

Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'Know how to agree to disagree':

"One of the important and attractive elements of confidence for both men and women is knowing how to agree to disagree and move on with a conversation without getting stuck on the disagreement about something that you shouldn’t take personally, and allowing it to turn into a fight.  On the other hand, when you don’t know how to agree to disagree and you turn a disagreement into a fight, or you try to convince the other person every which way you can that you are right and he or she is wrong, it will make you come across as someone who is insecure, or even worse – someone who is psychotic and who has temper issues.  And men are guilty of that more often than women.  I’ve heard quite a few times before how a woman would go out on a first date with a guy; they would have a nice dinner and a nice conversation, and then at a certain point they will start talking about politics and they will find out that they disagree on a certain political issue.  But instead of letting it go, the guy will try to convince her every which way he can why he’s right and she’s wrong – turning that conversation into a fight and ruining everything for both of them.  There is no reason to get stuck and turn a disagreement on something that you shouldn’t take personally into a fight.  You should learn how to respect the other person’s perspective and the other person’s opinion, and move on with the conversation, unless that disagreement is so fundamental that you know that you’re not gonna be able get along with that person because of the disagreement.  Thank you."

YouTube Transcriptions: Arkady Advice

Transcripts of dating advice by a man from practicalhappiness.com, for any hard-of-hearing folk who are interested in such advice on YouTube.

'Two simple rules for effective banter and sarcasm':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etF3GpvUvv8&feature=relmfu

"Sarcasm and banter can be one of the most fun and the most effective ways to spark up romantic interest and attraction between you and the person you’re going out with.  In fact, often when the woman says after going out with a guy that she wasn’t feeling it, and that there was no chemistry there between her and her date, it’s because she has a sharp mind; she likes sarcasm; she’s being sarcastic herself, and the guy was just too stiff; too formal; he was walking on egg shells, so to speak; being afraid to say the wrong thing; he wasn’t funny, and he didn’t know how to banter.  And he didn’t get her sarcasm either.  So, it’s really worth learning how to banter and how to be sarcastic because it’s a major part of learning for many people, and it’s also a lot of fun.

There are two simple rules you should keep in mind in order to make the most out of your sarcasm: First, don’t be sarcastic too early on.  If you just met someone and you’re practically total strangers to each other, it’s probably not a good idea to start throwing harsh, sarcastic, or cynical jokes one after the other.  You should probably show your serious and you’re interesting side first to the other person, and then you can start gradually being sarcastic and banter, and see how the other person responds to it.  Do they like it?  Do they get it?  Do they understand it?  And depending upon on their reaction, you can be more sarcastic, less sarcastic, and otherwise adjust your conversation so you get along.  This doesn’t mean that you have to be fake, or you have to cater to what your company necessarily wants to hear, but adjusting your level of sarcasm or your level of humour – with reason – is a good idea generally. 

And secondly, make sure that you don’t go too far with your sarcasm.  If every single thing you say…is sarcastic, you’re gonna make the wrong impression on the other person.  You’re either gonna come across as someone who is too cynical; too negative about the world around them, or you’re gonna appear as someone who is hiding their real self; their real face; their real identity behind this sarcastic mask, and that’s also the impression that you wanna avoid giving.  Most of what you say should probably be something other than sarcasm.  And your banter and sarcasm should be the icing on the cake, where the cake is all the smart and all the interesting things that you’re sharing with the other person.

Thank you."

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Unrelated - Shorter Version

Suggestion: We make a video of us briefly discussing points which need to be addressed by everyone responsible.  I would be happy to put it together if enough participants join in (fightwithME@hotmail.co.uk).  Because some people don't own cameras they can record on, still images can also be sent in.  I wrote a script (which is just a guide and can be adjusted to participant's liking).  I will post the script below and include fictional names to give you an idea of who would say what.  This will be updated with participant's forum usernames in order to avoid confusion about who is saying what.  Recordings should be kept quite brief in order to fit in as many people as possible and keep the video interesting, but we could do individual videos/stories at a later date if this is something participants are interested in. 

Section one would address the misconception that ME sufferers just developed depression:
George: I was happy
Lily: I was happy
Buttons: I am happy
*Whoever else participates*

After this section, one person would say something like:
Mary: The only thing that depresses me is…

And participants would continue from here by listing one symptom that they find particularly depressing/upsetting/frustrating.  This is to address the misconception that ME is just about being a bit tired and forgetful.  Examples:
Pillow_Slayer: Mentioning amount of pain suffered
Sleepyowl: Stating the isolation ME has caused her
*Whoever else participates*

Participants would then talk about the confusion over what type of condition ME is.  Like this:
George: ME is currently defined by the World Health Organisation as a neurological illness
Sarah: But doctors in the UK follow NICE guidelines, which
Lily: Despite being updated in 2007 to inform doctors about diagnosing ME, don’t give a clear definition


*Video shows a quote from the NICE guidelines*

Harry: It changes subject without having agreed upon the type of condition ME is
Sam: And a number of studies report a continued confusion or disagreement by GPs about this
Tina: When sufferers aren't given the correct information, it can lead to them struggling to accept their condition as "real", which can result in feelings of guilt and even depression
Rachael: But doctors are not being provided with the growing number of studies that show ME is neurological
Frieda: Not only does this contribute to the continued belief that ME is psychological
John: Some doctors even refuse to acknowledge the illness and put the symptoms down to depression


The next section addresses the stigma sufferers face because of certain implications about ME being psychological.
Heather: Whilst the main "treatment" of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may help some sufferers with the emotions ME can cause
Simon: The implication of this therapy is [that] - quote - "your problems are often created by you”
Rebecca: The statement that therapy can help sufferers "control" their symptoms by changing their "behaviour"
Hallie: And by challenging any thoughts which stop their health's improvement
Annie: Further suggests a belief that ME is of a psychological nature
Paul: And the only "control" we have over our symptoms is being able to rest when we need to
Lily: Which usually comes at the expense of losing any normality in our lives
Jill: But CBT is usually the only treatment offered to us – if any is offered at all
Sian: That is unless we can afford to pay for treatment in private clinics
Mindy: Which most of us can't do because we aren't able to work
James: And despite often being housebound or/and bedbound, too many ME sufferers don't get past the 13 week assessment stage of Employment and Support Allowance
Alex: This can leave a lot of sufferers in an even more vulnerable position

Rounding it up:
George: Over the years, different articles and guidelines have called for GPs to develop a better understanding of ME
Sian: And improved support for sufferers
Annie: But many of us still aren't experiencing this 

Paul: ME is thought to affect up to 0.5% of the population – a higher rate than Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis
Frieda: So why aren't all sufferers getting the support they need?
Lily: A clear definition of the illness
Rebecca: Recognition from the medical community of the condition's neurological status
Hallie: More information provided for newly diagnosed sufferers 
Heather: Consideration of the diagnostic tests used in private practices, to show the neurological problems rather than to only rule out other illnesses
Buttons: And a consideration of the treatments offered in clinics such as Dr. Wright's

Unrelated - Fight with ME Post

Fight with ME

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." – Gandhi

(This is very long, but please bear with me – take as long as you need to read it, and don't overexert yourselves.)

Before now, we've relied on charities and fundraisers to bring us hope (and who can blame us when many of us are housebound?). But has much of a difference been made so far? Every day on here, I see new posts from members who have been ignored, discriminated against, ridiculed, and abandoned by the people who should be trying to help them – the medical community.

Even with the few people and institutes who support us, most sufferers don't know about, can't afford, or can't get to the places that are offering more support or private treatment.

According to the NHS website, many of us "adjust [our] lifestyles to improve" our symptoms. Any adjustment of our life styles is not by choice. Losing our jobs; losing our friends; staying indoors most or all of the time...these aren't things we choose. And often, our symptoms don't even improve because of it.

One NHS "treatment" for ME (if a sufferer is actually offered any) is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I'm not claiming that this can't help some people deal with accepting the diagnosis or with the guilt or sadness that ME can bring, but it should not be listed as a treatment. It does not treat our symptoms of ME – only emotional consequences.

The NHS website states that this therapy can help us to "control" our symptoms and can challenge "any thoughts that could prevent symptoms improving". The implication that sufferers could be mentally stopping their improvement is very offensive and only furthers the belief of non-sufferers that this illness is psychological.

What else do they advise to combat our exhaustion and numerous other symptoms? Exercise. More and more of it. Because apparently, the more we exercise over time, the better we get. This "treatment" is rejected not only by sufferers, but by ME experts who understand that the condition is neurological.

Are these the "treatments" offered to sufferers of other neurological illnesses? No, because the tests for diagnosing ME only rule out other illnesses – we aren't offered the ones which show how our brains are affected or the viruses we have, and therefore many people don't know that it is neurological. And also, no, because ME doesn't kill us. We just continue to suffer. Often alone.

Is this fair? Of course not.

For my university dissertation, I discussed ME and the continued lack of support sufferers receive from the medical community. I found multiple studies reporting neglect of patient care; widespread belief of it being a psychological illness; GP confusion regarding diagnosis and what steps to take after a diagnosis has been made…

These studies collected information by asking either patients, patients and their GPs, or General Practitioners alone. They give a frightening insight into the neglect and stigma sufferers still face.

It has to stop. It's been like this for far too long.

The blogs, the articles, and the studies aren't making a difference. Individually, we aren't being listened to and, individually, we will continue to be ignored. I say we make a "stand" together. In this age of technology, we don't need to march the streets of London in protest – we can do it online.

Please help me. We owe it to ourselves for the lives we haven't been able to live. Even if you have little hope for yourself, think of future sufferers. We have to try, and we have to keep trying until we get results.

Here's what I propose as a first step. I've made a script of some of the important information that I believe the NHS and anyone else responsible needs to address. We divide it between us and put it into a video. It might not seem like much, but it's only a first step, and so many people these days have achieved something using this method.

The impact will be bigger if as many of you contribute as possible. In the past, I've encountered people who don't believe that ME sufferers are still being treated the way we are. People need to understand that there aren't just a couple of "bitter" sufferers who have had bad experiences. There are many of us.

I don't want this to be my campaign; I want it to be our campaign. This is our fight, even though it should not have come to this. So, the script below is just a guide. It doesn’t have to be followed exactly.

The reason I believe the lines should be kept short is because people are more likely to pay attention when there isn't just one or two people talking a lot. If it was a popular idea amongst participants, individual profiles about the struggles we've faced could be done at a later date.

Some of you may be camera shy. I am. I have terrible self-esteem and hate being in the spotlight, but I'm willing to put that aside for this. You don't need to state your names anywhere; they wouldn't appear on the screen (but it might be good to state how many years you've had ME for).

If enough of you are willing to participate, I would happily put all of the clips together into a video and get it on sites like YouTube. But if none of you are interested, I'll have to get someone to drive me around the country and throw leaflets out of the car window calling for fellow sufferers to unite (so I'm really hoping that I can count on you lovely folk).

I've set up an email address for clips to be sent to: fightwithME@hotmail.co.uk

(If you don't trust that I'm not a crazy person who just wants your email addresses, feel free to have a look at my Facebook, where I hopefully appear relatively normal: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...le.php?sk=wall)

If we work together, we can make sure people in a position of power see this. We can email it to our local News teams, or send it to them over Facebook, and politely ask them to run a story on it. We can find online celebrities who have (or have had) ME and ask them to promote the video/cause. We can get as many people as we know to watch it.

So, where to begin?

The most misunderstood aspect of this illness that leads to sufferers not getting the support they need has to be the belief that ME is psychological. We just developed depression, right? No? Then tell them. Tell the world how you were happy before this. And if it’s true, tell them how you're still happy (because we know this illness doesn't necessarily result in depression).

This is how we would start the video. (P = Participant.) However many of you are willing to do this section:

P: I was happy
P: I was happy
P: I am happy

Again, this is just a guide. If you don't want to appear, but you have a supporting partner, friend, or family member who is willing to, they could say (for example), "She used to be so bubbly" (writing beneath: "Daughter of ME sufferer"). But these clips should be kept short in order to be punchy, to keep attention, and to fit in as many of you as possible.

After this section, one person would say something like:
P: The only thing that depresses me is…

And the next clips would be of each participant naming a symptom they find particularly upsetting, because we know that another misconception is 'ME sufferers are just tired'. Examples:

[P: The only thing that depresses me is…]

P: Always feeling sick
P: Constantly being in pain
P: Not being able to open my curtains because of hypersensitivity
P: Not remember what I was going to…
P: Losing friends because I'm too ill leave the house
P: Not being able to work
P: Not being able to play with my children/niece
P: Being wheelchair-dependent

Of course, if you participate in one section of the video, you don't have to participate in the rest if you don't want to, but remember: the more, the better.

Next: The confusion over what type of condition ME is needs to be sorted out. Here's the type of thing we could say about this:

P: ME is currently defined by the World Health Organisation as a neurological illness

P: But doctors in the UK follow NICE guidelines, which

P: Despite being updated in 2007 to inform doctors about diagnosing ME, don’t give a clear definition

Quote we could show on screen: "The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies CFS/ME as a neurological illness (G93.3), and some members of the Guideline Development Group (GDG) felt that...the guideline should recognise this classification. Others felt that to do so did not reflect the nature of the illness, and risked restricting research into the causes, mechanisms and future treatments for CFS/ME.

CFS/ME comprises a range of symptoms that includes fatigue, malaise…
"
- NICE Guidelines

P: It changes subject without having agreed upon the type of condition ME is

P: Because of this confusion, some sufferers have been turned down for the flu jab, despite being eligible

P: But doctors are not being provided with the growing number of studies that show ME is neurological

P: Not only does this contribute to the continued belief that ME is psychological

P: Some doctors even refuse to acknowledge the illness and put the symptoms down to depression

What else needs to be changed? The treatments – or lack of – that we're offered (if we are indeed offered any).

My guide for this part of the video (we can divide the sections more or less if necessary, depending on how many of you want to participate):

P: Whilst the main "treatment" of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may help some sufferers with the emotions ME can cause

P: The implication of this therapy is [that] - quote - "your problems are often created by you”

P: The statement that therapy can help sufferers "control" their symptoms by changing their "behaviour"

P: And by challenging any thoughts which stop their health's improvement

P: Further suggests a belief that ME is of a psychological nature

P: And the only "control" we have over our symptoms is being able to rest when we need to

P: Which usually comes at the expense of losing any normality in our lives

P: But CBT is usually the only treatment offered to us – if any is offered at all

P: That is unless we can afford to pay for treatment in private clinics

P: Which most of us can't do because we aren't able to work

P: And despite often being housebound or/and bedbound, too many ME sufferers don't get past the 13 week assessment stage of Employment and Support Allowance

P: This can leave a lot of sufferers in an even more vulnerable position


How to round it up? I'm struggling with this one, but maybe:

P: Over the years, different articles and guidelines have called for GPs to develop a better understanding of ME

P: And improved support for sufferers

P: But many of us still aren't experiencing this

Here we could have something similar to the beginning, where each participant in this section briefly mentions a bad experience they’ve had with a doctor. For example, I might say, "When I enquired about a sick note for ESA, the doctor sceptically implied that ME doesn't make working difficult".

Or all participants in this section could simply say something such as, "I've been ridiculed by a doctor" (if this is true for them, of course).

Or, if preferred, participants could state labels they've been given. Examples:
P: I've been called lazy
P: Depressed
P: "Can't be bothered to work"
ETC

If we did the latter, different participants could say the same labels if they're true (by which I mean that if one participant said "Lazy", another participant could say the same if they wanted), because we are trying to put across how widespread the ignorance is.

Please feel free to make suggestions about which is best.

And finally…

P: ME is thought to affect up to 0.5% of the population – a higher rate than Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis

P: So why aren't sufferers getting the support they need?

P: A clear definition of the illness

P: Recognition from the medical community of the condition's neurological status

P: Better understanding by GPs

P: More information provided for newly diagnosed sufferers

P: And a consideration of the treatments offered in clinics such as Dr. Wright's

Finishing/concluding statement?

I know it seems long, but I've gone over it with myself a few times and it hasn't amounted to more than five minutes.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

Who's with me? If you are, let us (your fellow Foggies) know here, and say which parts you want to participate in, as some lines are only said by one person and we (assuming enough Foggies join in) don't want confusion over who says what. I would then use the "edit" function to change "P" in this post to participant's usernames once (if) people have stated which parts they want to say.

Unrelated - ME (GP) Studies

For those who wonder if only a few sufferers have bad experiences, I've included here just a small number of the studies I found during my research into ME's history (for my university dissertation 2010-2011).  I've edited them to make them easier to read.  There were many, many more studies reporting similar results. 


In 2005, Thomas & Smith conducted a study into the analysis of healthcare education about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis... Surveys were sent to 197 ME sufferers in Wales and 120 booklets were sent to typical GP surgeries. Results showed that treatment had been offered to 59.8% of patients; the most popular being antidepressant therapy (92.7%). Only one participant reported returning to normal health after drug therapy, with the majority reporting no change in symptoms. Of the General Practitioner respondents, only 55.8% believed that the condition exists, and 67.4% of these reported diagnosing ME. Informative leaflets about ME were available in only 14.8% of the surveyed surgeries.
 - Thomas, M.A. & Smith, A.P. (2005)
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In 2000, 70% of the 2090 Australian GPs surveyed reported believing ME to be caused by depression.
- Steven, et al. 2000)
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As recently as 2003, a spokesman for the NHS Trust in Scotland stated, "ME is not a condition we recognise or treat".
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A survey was completed by 68 patients to evaluate their level of satisfaction with the medical care they received in a specialised clinic. Two-thirds of participants felt dissatisfied and reported experiencing a delay, confusion, or disagreement over receiving a diagnosis. Many also reported having received a psychiatric diagnosis (which they rejected). They believed the advice given was inadequate or conflicting, and they perceived doctors to be sceptical, dismissive, or as lacking in knowledge of ME. Satisfied patients tended to be those who believed their doctors to have been supportive and interested in their condition. The overall findings suggested that the quality of care had been assessed based on the informational and interpersonal skills of doctors, rather than their ability to treat ME (Deale & Wessely, 2001).
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Another study (Raine, et al. 2004) compared General Practitioners' views of patients with ME to their perceptions of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and found that some GPs stereotyped ME patients as having undesirable traits, due to several factors (including not being able to attribute ME to specific location).
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Gilje, Söderlunda, and Malterund (2008) used a sample of twelve participants of various ages from a local patient organisation to 'explore obstructions for quality care from experiences by patients with CFS'. The results described how patients felt that a lack of acknowledgement may be even worse for them than their symptoms. They stated that doctors' lack of knowledge about the illness led to long-term uncertainty or maltreatment. The participants also described feeling that doctors "psychologised" or trivialised their symptoms too much, and even supportive doctors would normally take months, or years, to rule out other disorders and reach a medical conclusion. They expressed wanting their doctors to ask questions and take them seriously instead of behaving in a degrading manner. Lastly, the researchers noted how physical activity had been recommended, but this had made most of the patients worse. Gilje, Söderlunda, and Malterund (2008) concluded that medical care and the experiences of ME patients are still shaped by medical scepticism and ignorance regarding the illness.
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Aspects of Gilje et al's (2008) research are reflected in the results of Chew-Graham et al's (2010) qualitative study… The objective of this study was to explore General Practitioners' beliefs about the value of the label ME, implications of diagnosis, and attitudes towards patients with the illness. Twenty two General Practitioners were interviewed between 2005 and 2008. Chew-Graham et al (2010) reported General Practitioners describing a difficulty in defining ME and suggesting that their role was to exclude physical causes, but having little confidence in positively attributing the label of CFS or ME to patients...  There was also some debate as to whether or not Myalgic Encephalomyelitis actually exists as a medical condition. Chew-Graham et al (2010) concluded that until GPs become comfortable in diagnosing patients with CFS or ME, facilitating management, and having appropriate services to refer patients to, delays in diagnosis will continue and patients in primary care may not receive the appropriate care.
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In February 2011, reports came out of an eight year study which claimed to have found both CBT and GET to be safe for ME sufferers and to have substantial beneficial effects on improving sufferers’ energy levels.  However, Hooper (2010) revealed that the PACE Trial used the Principal Investigator’s own criteria for “CFS” and that the Principal Investigators and other psychiatrists involved in the Trial continue to treat ME as a behavioural disorder; ignoring the scientific evidence identifying damage and dysfunction in sufferers’ major bodily systems, believing ME sufferers to have only an “aberrant belief” of a disorder.
- Hooper (2010)
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Such psychiatrists are admittedly part of the 'Wessely School', which continues to publicly insist upon ME as a mental disorder.
- Hooper, Marshall & Williams (2010)

Tuesday 4 October 2011

YouTube Transcriptions: JeremyJahns' 'Abduction' Review


"‘Killer Elite’ – based on a true story.  ‘Dolphin Tales’ – based on a true story.  ‘Moneyball’ – based on a true.  ‘Abduction’! Not at all based on a true story, but Taylor Lautner is not a good actor, and that is a true story.

‘Abduction’: So ‘Abduction’ stars Taylor Lautner from ‘Twilight’ and he’s doing this high school project with this hot neighbour chick, and then he sees on a website this - one of those rendered photos where it’s like, “Oh, this kid may look like this now as a missing kid” and he looks just like him!  And then secrets unfold…  Now I’m gonna start this by touching on the statement I made on the intro to this video: Taylor Lautner’s not a good actor; he’s just not.   It’s almost like Taylor Lautner’s either so stoic he has no emotion, or he has too much.  Like he’s all like *facial expression*.  Or she says something and he’s like, “We can’t…there’s no time”.  Yep, it’s just like that.  I think Taylor Lautner would be a good stunt man.  It’s like, “Oh, OK, yeah, I’ll jump off buildings for the actors instead; that’d be fun”.  ’Cause he’s a strong dude; he’s got the physique for it.  Taylor Lautner, just be a stuntman.  For us…to not have to watch your movies.  The thing about this movie is, it tries to be so cool; it tries to be so special, like, “Oh, this is a really cool premise; we’re gonna pull it off like this”.  And it is kind of an interesting premise, but it doesn’t have any good acting to back it up.  It’s a high school version of ‘Enemy of the State’.  Just watch ‘Enemy of the State’; it’s like a million more times relevant than ‘Abduction’.  All the good actors in this movie aren’t big parts in the movie.  Alfred Molina is in it; he’s a good actor.  Jason Isaacs is in it – this guy is one of my favourite actors from like 2002 from when he was really just climbing.  I was like, “Dude, you’re the bad guy in ‘The Patriot’ – you are badass!”  And now he’s a small part in ‘Abduction’.  It’s like, ‘Lucius Malfoy’ – I realise that Harry Potter’s over now, but you don’t have to backslide so much.  The neighbour chick is hot.  I don’t know who she is, but she’s hot.  Jason Isaacs even says it.  He’s like, “Oh, yeah, I knew her when she was a kid…  She’s kinda hot now”.  Maria Bello’s in it.  She looks good for as old as she is.  If I was ever dumb enough to get married, I would hope my wife would look like Maria Bello when she was her age.  And I know that Taylor Lautner was a wrestler in high school and he’s athletic and all that, but how does he get so agile that he’s like jumping off of fences and beams and he’s all acting like he’s a spy?  Like, he’s had this training all his life; he hasn’t.  Jason Isaacs would spar with him – I get that, so he knows how to fight.  But that doesn’t mean you know how to do half the other crap you’ve been doing.  Genetic memory, maybe?  I don’t know.  I didn’t care about the villain; I didn’t care about the good guys – I mean, some of the spy stuff had a good concept behind it, but I’ve seen it done a hundred times better in a hundred other things.  In a story arc in a movie like this, the main guy and the main girl are gonna be alone about half-way through the movie.  And they’re gonna start talking about stuff and relating to each other.  We get that, right?  How do they do it in this movie?  By having her be like, “Remember that time in Junior High?  Why didn’t you ask me out at the beginning of the year?”  At that point, I was like [singing], “High school is such a serious thing!  These problems matter”.  I can’t even sing for s***, but that’s the song that came to my mind and it fit perfectly.  This is ‘Enemy of the State’ in high school on the CWA network.  “Why didn’t you ask me out at the beginning of the year?”  And not even as good as that.  In the end, this movie would be a good time…if you’re looking for a high school spy movie and you’re drunk.  “Yeahh, now it’s a party and we’re spies!”  So, your favourite spy movie villain – what’s your favourite?  Comment below; let me know.  And, as always, if you like what you’ve seen here and you wanna see more, click right here to see more!"

YouTube Transcriptions: JeremyJahns' 'Killer Elite' Review


"Spies and guns and Jason Statham!  It’s…almost like we’ve seen this before, a lot.

‘Killer Elite’: Now, ‘Killer Elite’ is pretty simple, yet a lot happens in it.  It takes place in the 80’s; Jason Statham’s like, “All right, I’m done killing people”.  Then a year later, someone kidnaps one of his friends and they’re like, “All right, we need you to kill these three people because we hate them”, so Statham’s like, “???? with those sausages, Charlie”.  Actually, he didn’t say that, but, you know, he pretty much agrees.  And then he kills people.  And then Clive Owen’s hot on his trail; he’s like, “All right, I’m a guy who kills people also and he’s killing people that we like, so we’re gonna go after him”, and then, you know, you got your movie.  Now, supposedly Killer Elite’s based on like a true story; it’s based on a book.  And I don’t know if it’s really based on a true story; I don’t know if it happened how it happened in this movie.  Because if you look into it, every website that you find sayin’ it is true, you [can] find another one saying it’s all bulls***, so I don’t know.  And the actors in this movie, they’re really good.  Robert De Niro’s in it; Jason Statham’s in it; Clive Owen – I’ve always liked those guys.  I mean, Clive Owen especially.  The first time I saw Clive Owen, I was like, “That dude’s a badass” and then he became, like, you know, big – he’s in that Angelina Jolie movie where she steps on a mine.  That’s all I remember about the movie, but I remember he was awesome.  So I guess I remember two things about the movie.  Some of the characters were good; the others, you don’t care about.  You’re like, “All right, let’s just have people die”.  It almost feels like, going into this movie, I should’ve gotten like a page of character bios that I didn’t get.  Like, when you buy your ticket for this movie, you should get a page of just all the characters and their bios and what they do; where they work.  Like, “Oh, this is Clive Owen’s character: he worked here, now he works here; he does this because of this” – so you at least know a bit about ’em.  You know, like ‘Batman Arkham Asylum’ had where it’s like, “Oh, this is Edward Nigma: he does this and this and this”.  And you’re like, “Oh, OK, all right, I already knew that, but OK, it’s good to have the bio”.  And there are some moustaches in here, let me tell you.  These moustaches put Chad (?) to shame.  Straight-up 80’s moustaches.  It was quite awesome.  Now, like I said, a lot happens in this movie.  A lot.  So much, in fact, that it almost seems like disjointed.  More happens in ‘Killer Elite’ than movies that I’ve seen that are like twice the length of ‘Killer Elite’.  And Killer Elite’s just a two hour movie.  You know ‘Apollo 13’ where they’re like, “All right, we need this to fit into this using nothing but that”?  It’s almost like that.  ’S like the writer and director were like, All right, we need all these events to happen in a movie that’s just two hours long”.  At a point in this movie, I was like, “All right, it’s coming to the end of the movie – I know because a lot of stuff has happened; people are dead; it’s - wow, there’s an hour left in the movie”.  And like I said, the acting’s really good in the movie.  I like the action in the movie, too.  It’s actually really exciting.  You know, shoot-outs; Jason Statham fighting Clive Owen.  When they throw down, you’re like, “All right, awesome”.  A big bees nest underground, how is that not cool?  And kinda terrifying ’cause I’d haul ass; I-I’d be like, “No, I’m out”.  Bees: uh-uh.  I saw ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ – it never ends well.  But this movie just wasn’t locked down, you know; it was a little rough around the edges.  It just wasn’t put together as well as I wanted it to be.  It’s almost like they come up with a Sci-Fi movie that’s OK, but you just think to yourself, “Oh, it’s all right, but I do have Battlestar Galactica’, ‘Firefly’, and ‘Star Wars’ before BETA (?) yelled ‘no’”.  I don’t need one that’s just OK.  That’s kinda like ‘Killer Elite’ for me.  There are a lot of Spy movies and hit man movies and Thrillers that are done better than ‘Killer Elite’.  Then you got ‘Cloak and Dagger’ from the 80’s.  Not really, but you know, whatever.  In the end, I’ll say, it’s OK, but you’re not gonna remember it in T-Minus one day.  I mean, with De Niro and Clive Owen, I just thought it would be better; it’s not as good as a De Niro and Clive Owen movie.  You know what was really good in the movie is the sound.  Far be it for me to be an audio file or something like that, but the sound was really good.  When something blew up, you knew it blew up.  When a gun shot went off and people weren’t supposed to hear it, it went off.  You’re like, “Someone heard that”.  So I gotta give it up for the sound; the sound was really good.  All right, so, spies; espionage; hit men; actions; guns – all the good stuff.  What’s your favourite movie of that type?  Comment below; let me know!   And, as always, if you like what you’ve seen here and you wanna see more, click right here to see more!"

YouTube Transcriptions: JeremyJahns' 'Dolphin Tale' Review



"Me reviewing ‘Dolphin Tale’.  You couldn’t have called that, but here I am, so here it is.

‘Dolphin Tale’: So I really didn’t know much about ‘Dolphin Tale’.  I mean, I just saw the poster and I was like, “Oh, a movie with Morgan Freeman in, that’s cool”.  Although I don’t know if it means much any more.  I mean, he did do the voice-over in ‘Conan the Barbarian’, so I-I dunno.  All right, so, Dolphin Tale’s the story of a kid – you know, he’s a loner kid; he’s a daydreamer; he doesn’t really like school (he’s in summer school actually).   Reminds me of me in high school.  And he comes across a dolphin on a beach, and its tail’s wrapped up in rope, and so the dolphin gets taken away to this rehabilitation centre run by Harry Connick Jr, and then the kid’s bonding with this dolphin and that’s our movie.  Now, it sounds really cheesy, and in parts it kinda is.  I mean, it’s really heart-felt movie and they do the heart-felt stuff really well; it’s a really good family movie, but there are parts where you’re like, “This is one of those Hallmark movies… Don’t know if I’m supposed to enjoy this, yet I kinda do…”  And there’s nothing wrong with that; I’m letting you know right now, if you watch ‘Dolphin Tale’ and you have that feeling where you’re like, “Ahh, it’s really nice” – you’re not weird.  It’s OK.  Your friends will give you c*** for it, but I’m just saying it’s all right.  So just tell ’em, “Hey, Jeremy said it’s all right”.  And Morgan Freeman’s role in this movie – when I saw him, I was like, “OK, here’s what happens: this movie takes place after ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.  In ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, Batman’s gonna get his back broken; Wayne Enterprise’s stock is gonna drop; they’re gonna have to sell the company; the company’s gonna be gone; ‘Lucius Fox’ is gonna be out of a job, and which he now is in ‘Dolphin Tale’”.  His character is exactly that, I swear.  And he’s really good in the movie – he’s Morgan Freeman, I can’t be like, “Ah, Morgan Freeman – he was the weak link right there” ’cause that’s – it-it probably won’t happen.   Ever.  And what I like about ‘Dolphin Tale’ is, although it concentrates on this dolphin having to adapt and survive because it loses its tail, it does a good job at linking that to human beings about how they have to survive and overcome obstacles.  It was just really true and it’s an important message and I like that.  Doesn’t change the fact that sometimes you’re like, “Hallmark movie, I’m just sayin’”.  However, you can take the most jaded human being on Earth, and by the end of this movie, if they’re still like, “I don’t know, it’s just stupid”, they officially hate people who conquer obstacles and hardships.  And they hate kids and dolphins (which, who doesn’t hate kids these days?  But dolphins, they’re all right).  And Dolphin Tale’s based on a true story; I didn’t know that.  So the fact it’s based on a true story like cuts back on the cheese factor and like amps up the, “Oh, wow, that’s really cool” factor.  One of the coolest parts is the end credits; it shows real footage of all the stuff happening that you just saw, but like, you know, real.  And the movie actually had it pretty true to form; this stuff really happened.  So that was awesome right there.  In the end, I’ll say: it’s a good time; no alcohol required.  In a really strong family movie kinda way.  Like, if you’re playing Gears of War right now and you’re just shredding through everybody, I don’t expect you to put down the controller and be like, “Dudes, I’ll be back; I’m watching ‘Dolphin Tale’” – it’s just not realistic.  However, it has my stamp of approval as a really good family movie.  So what can I ask you about a movie like – what’s your favourite dolphin movie?  I’m not gonna do that.  In any case, if you like what you’ve seen here and you wanna see more, click right here to see more!"

YouTube Transcriptions: JeremyJahns' 'Drive' Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi4Ll-q3N_Q&feature=feedu


"Hipsters get ready: you’re about to crucify a man on YouTube.

‘Drive’: So if you remember, I was looking forward to ‘Drive’.  ‘Drive’ stars Ryan Gosling and he plays a driver.  ???? driver by day and then he’s like, you know, a driver from Grand Theft Auto; he drives criminals around at night.  And he has these set rules, man; he’s like, “We meet here; you’re on time; you got five minutes; I drive; I don’t carry a gun… You do the dirty work; I will drive you anywhere, but in that five minutes, I am yours”.  When he was listing off the rules at the very beginning of the movie, I was like, “Dude, this is awesome”; I love people like this”.  I love it when they’re that methodical and you gotta be on time because you know he’s gonna leave your ass behind if you’re not.  And, on that, the beginning of this movie is so awesome.  He’s driving these guys on a job and he is just working his craft; he is a badass behind the wheel.  And then after that, the beginning credits come on and I was like, “Dude, I am so hyped for this right now”.  There’s no real human being who can watch the first five minutes of this movie and be like “Er…not my thing”.  But!  Then after that, you know, the movie continues.  And the movie really slows down.  It slows down to a pretty drastic degree and about a half an hour into the movie – after, you know, about ten lines of dialogue have been spoken – I was like, “This is truly an art house movie”.  And you guys know, art house movies, they’re just not my thing.  And people are saying that ‘Drive’ is just the perfect blend of art house meets action.  Not really, it-it’s just art house.  I mean, in terms of action, both the action sequences are in the trailer.  There are two drive sequences – two!  Ones at the very beginning of the movie, and the next one’s like half-way into the movie.  In between it focuses on Ryan Gosling meeting this girl, you know, and she all makes him feel warm and fuzzy.  Although he’s not really the warm and fuzzy type.  He just kinda sits there and stares and…gives a look and doesn’t say much.  ’Cause it’d just be like, “Oh, you’re a stunt driver from a movie?  That’s awesome, anything I’ve heard of?” … “Okie doke”.  And it’s kinda like that.  Which I get is his character because, you know, he could kill you.  And I like knowing that; I like knowing this whole time that guy could just snap and kill people.  And Ryan Gosling plays it perfectly; he’s a good actor.  The guy plays a really stoic driver who barely talks, who could probably snap your neck with his pinky perfectly.  There were some scenes where you’re like, “Dude, that guy is just gonna murder some folks”.  You knew you didn’t wanna be on the receiving end of it, but you knew you wanted to see what he was gonna do.  Now, when people defend this movie; I cannot argue their points.  I can’t say they’re totally wrong, because people say the movie’s well filmed and it is well-filmed; well acted – it’s well acted.  Everyone’s a good actor in this movie; there’s like no weak link.  But it doesn’t change the fact that I found the movie to be really boring, at least for half of it.  You know the exciting s*** it shows in the trailer?  That’s the half-way mark on.  If you like art house movies, you’re gonna love ‘Drive’, and you’re gonna defend it to your dying breath.  Watch it now before it’s shown to you in every film class you have later on in life.  If you don’t like art house movies, I don’t think you’re gonna like ‘Drive’.  So, for me, the movie was...a Tour De Force!  All right, guys – your favourite driving movie that has to do with drivers or driving that has more than two driving scenes.  What’s your favourite?  Comment below; let me know.  In any case, if you like what you’ve seen here and you wanna see more, click right here to see more!"

Saturday 17 September 2011

YouTube Transcriptions: JeremyJahns' 'Contagion' Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xztrD8Fhl44&feature=feedu

"Nukes in movies – cool!  Zombie apocalypse – awesome!  Pathogens – scariest s*** ever!

‘Contagion’:  All right, now as some of you may know, I’ve been lookin’ forward to this movie for a while.  I love these kind of movies.  Specifically, ‘Outbreak’ – I was a big fan of ‘Outbreak’ back in the day.  I loved the Hell out of that movie.  So now, I felt like this was gonna be ‘Outbreak’ 2011.  So how did it hold up?  Well, here it is.  Now I might compare this movie to the movie ‘Outbreak’ a few times, but, in all fairness, you know, viruses… people dying… ‘Outbreak’ – ‘Contagion’…  Now, if you don’t know what it’s about, ‘Contagion’ has an all-star cast and it’s about a virus that’s just wiping out mankind.  And no one really knows where this thing came form; it’s like the Plague back in the day or Bieber Fever two years ago – it just sprung onto the scene; just started doin’ damage.  Now we gotta deal with it.  But this virus wasn’t messin’ around.  I mean, it was really cool to see.  This thing kills you in like a day.  You get it; you feel a little ill; by that night, you’re dead.  So it really kinda freaks you out; you’re like, “Ahhh, maybe I should wash my hands more often”.  Now, what I liked about this movie were the performances – the performances were solid.  And it really focuses on Matt Damon.  Usually movies like this, the movie takes place in like the span of seven days, so it’s like one of those, “Oo, the virus is gonna break out; in seven days, we deal with it; fix it; life goes on”.  This movie takes place in the span of months.  So, it all just happens, man.  I mean, the virus comes out; people start dying; people start getting scared; people start looting; people start killing; people are m-are freaked out.  It really shows what would happen in a situation like this.  I mean, ‘Outbreak’ was like, “Oh, it’s in the town and we can’t let it escape the town; let’s not let it escape the town”.  ‘Contagion’ is what happens when the virus escapes the town.  Yeah, we’re all screwed.  But in that, the movie spans months and is condensed into a two hour movie.  It feels like it was filmed to be a four hour movie and then it was like edited down to two hours.  So it feels like things are missing in the movie.  Like, some of the characters are useless.  Marion Cotillard or Coti - however you say her last name.  I hate silent l’s.  I hate - I hate ’em.  In any case, she’s in the movie and then at a point you don’t see her for like an hour.  Easily an hour.  At least an hour.  And then later on, it shows her again; you’re like, “I forgot that chick was even in this movie; that’s right”.  And then there’s a scene where she’s like, “Oh, Holy c**p, I need to get to this town; I need to get there right now”.  And she goes and she’s running and she’s hauling a** – and then it changes to the next scene, which she’s not in, and then you never see her again in the movie, ever.  It’s the last time you see her, what happened to her?  Did she – did she get to the town?  Did she get into a car wreck?  Did they edit it out?  Did she find Jimmy Hoffa?  She’s just gone now, I guess.  So in that, the movie kinda felt a little disjointed.  And it’s a really serious movie, too.  The funniest part was when it’s all talking about how people touch their face like two thousand times a day and they’re shakin’ hands with people and spreadin’ germs, and it shows and concentrates on someone like putting down a glass and someone else pickin’ up the glass, and you’re like, “Argh, you just transferred a virus!”  And I’m sittin’ there – I really was; this really happened – I’m sittin’ in the auditorium opening my candy wrapper with my teeth while it’s explaining this, all like, "Yeah, yeah, it’s spreadin’ viruses; you guys shouldn’t do that; it’s pretty careless.  Ahh, there we go.  Don’t be dumb.  Wash your…hands.That was pretty funny.  Rest of the movie is dead serious.  I like the fear; I like seeing people loot; I like seeing Matt Damon kinda adapt to the situation.  He goes from normal family guy to the guy survivin’ in the apocalypse in the span of a hundred and somethin’ days that this takes places.  But then the movie just cuts off; it just ends!   Like, ‘Outbreak’ – to compare it – the movie comes to a head and then there’s just this intense situation; you’re just bitin’ your nails, and you know you shouldn’t bite your nails because now you know there are germs under your nails and you’re gonna spread African Motaba to everything, but you’re biting your nails and it’s really intense!  This movie went on and then it ended and then…end credits and that was that.  So if you like these virus movies, you’re gonna enjoy this movie, but you’re not gonna like the end; you’re gonna feel like it was a bit choppy.  But I will say it’s a good time, no alcohol required.  Be a very realistic and scary time in which you’re gonna be convinced that you’re gonna catch a virus going home and die the next day.  I wanted to like it more than I did.  But I still did enjoy it.  So, virus movie; virus scenario; ‘Outbreak’/‘Contagion-type movie – what’s your favourite?  Comment below; let me know!  And, as always, if you like what you’ve seen here and you wanna see more, click right here to see more!"

YouTube Transcriptions: Anne Hathaway ('One Day') Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvptkSv_nig&NR=1

Interviewer: ‘Eminanne’ – that’s what they’re calling you since you did your paparazzi rap.  Did you hear that?

Anne Hathaway: ‘Eminanne’?

Interviewer: ‘Eminanne’, yeah.

Anne Hathaway: Oh, that’s so funny.  I have a different name for myself.

Interviewer: Oh, really?

Anne Hathaway: Yeah.

Interviewer: What is it?

Anne Hathaway: ‘Lady Creamsicle’ (?)

Interviewer: [Laughing] Oh, that’s lovely.  Did you have any other nicknames when you were younger?

Anne Hathaway: Oh…

Interviewer:  Any rude…

Anne Hathaway: Any rude nicknames growing up, no, no.  I didn’t have-have any; they were just very banal like AJ and things like that.

Interviewer: OK.  Pre-teen.

Anne Hathaway: Yeah, I got - I got saucier as I got older.

Interviewer: [Laughing] Oh, that’s another interview entirely.  Erm…for the majority of Emma Morley's twenties, she’s quite directionless and lost and [Anne Hathaway: Mmhm] doesn’t really know what she’s doing, and we were watching you on-screen for most of your twenties, but I just wondered – people probably wouldn’t associate you with being directionless and lost, but I’m just wondering…can you - could you relate to those experiences of ‘Emma’, I guess, when she was younger?

Anne Hathaway: Oh, yeah.  Yeah, of course.  I mean, I just - I feel very lucky because, erm I-I grew up knowing that acting was a possibility.  My mom’s an actor - an actor, and I-I grew up being supported.  You know, my parents didn’t want to be a child actor, but they said, “When you grow up, if you wanna do this, that’s fine”, so I had my dream endorsed.  It took ‘Emma’ a long time to be able to say out loud that she wanted to be a writer and, erm…so we-we differ in that way…but, I mean, you can be dir - have a great career and still feel directionless and still feel lost and still feel intensely vulnerable and have no confidence, an-and I definitely related to that.  I’ve been someone who - I’ve gotten happier as I’ve gotten older.

Interviewer: OK.  Erm, do you - I mean, do you think that - I mean – when-when you met Jim, did you – erm, I heard you had to do this chemistry –

Anne Hathaway: Yeah…

Interviewer: – read, which I think sounds so ruthless –

Anne Hathaway: It’s –

Interviewer: [Laughing] It’s kind of like, “Chemistry, now!”, you know, and it’s –

Anne Hathaway: Well, I’m like…what’s the most sure-fire way to kill chemistry is, like, observe it.

Interviewer: [Laughing] Make yourself conscious about it.

Anne Hathaway: Yeah.

Interviewer: How did you - I mean, did you - how did you kind of just kind of loosen up around each other, I guess? To –

Anne Hathaway: Never, we just –

Interviewer: – Obviously you did something right.

Anne Hathaway: I think - I think both he and I were just like, “Let’s just act”.  “Let’s just act and see what happens and…”  So we did the scenes together and ‘Emma’ and ‘Dexter’ have chemistry, so therefore Jim and I had chemistry, and then we got to know each other as the movie went on.  And it turns out we do have chemistry in real life, but I-I think the chemistry thing gets kind of overblown as like this ‘other’, when it’s really just part of the job.  It’s…it’s like if you’re a writer, you know how to put words together; if you’re an actor, you know how to have chemistry with people.

Interviewer: Yeah.  I’m told our time is ???? up –  

Anne Hathaway: Already?

Interviewer: – but I’m trying to think about, er, ways that I can trick you into talking about ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

Anne Hathaway: Go on!  Go on, go, go, go.  But you probably shouldn’t tell me that you’re trying to trick me.

Interviewer: Isn’t it terrible what happens to ‘Cat Woman’ at the end?  That was shocking; I read it on an illegal version of the script…this isn’t working, is it?  What can you tell us?  What’s the official line? The endorsed line that you can give us about ‘Dark Knight Rises’.

Anne Hathaway: Chris will - Chris will have my head if I say anything to you specific. 

Interviewer: Are you –

Anne Hathaway: It’s gonna be good.

Interviewer: Are you in training at the moment for it?

Anne Hathaway: Erm, you know, I don’t go back to set for a couple of weeks, so I’ve given myself a three day absence, and last night I had this thing called Tipsy Cake and, oh my God, it was so good.  It was like bread and custard and alcohol and it was like…hot and I just loved it.  So, at the moment – this exact moment – no.  But I really do need to get back –

Interviewer: Could you – could you kick my butt right now?

Anne Hathaway: I could kick your ass right now.  I won’t, I won’t…but, erm –

Interviewer: [Laughing] I’d like to see that.

Anne Hathaway: No, can I tell you?  I’ve gotten into almost three fights while the movie’s been going on; I think my testosterone levels have been going through the roof.  But like, I’ve been in bars and a guy’s been misbehaving and I’m like, “I can settle this”. 

Interviewer: Wow.

Anne Hathaway: It hasn’t happened yet, so –

Interviewer: We’re gonna - we’re gonna need a new nickname for ya –

Anne Hathaway: ‘Bad Ass’!  ‘Bad Ass Hathaway’.

Interviewer: That’s it.

Anne Hathaway: Thank you very –

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(http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/08/18/so-youve-seen-anne-hathaway-rap/ - A link to a video of the awesome Anne Hathaway's rap.)