Allusionist 14: Behave

Sometimes words can become your worst enemy. Clinical psychologist Jane Gregory tells how to defuse their power. There's more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/behave. This episode concerns mental health,

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Sometimes words can become your worst enemy. Clinical psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist Dr Jane Gregory tells how to defuse their power.

NB: Today's show concerns mental health, and the discussion nudges some topics which may not be comfortable for everybody. So if you have concerns, please sit this episode out, and return in two weeks for the next one.

ADDITIONAL READING:

• When Jane has time around working with her patients, she writes very interesting pieces about CBT at cognitivebehaveyourself.com.

• Here's a summary of CBT from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

• Have any of you played a mental health-themed game like Hellblade? How was it?

• Philippa Perry's psychotherapy comic book Couch Fiction is rather wonderful. Read this interview with her then buy a copy from your local bookshop because I can't bring myself to link to Amazon.

• Read a brief history of tennis AKA 'sphairistike'.

• Here's a load of tennis etymology.

• The transcript of this episode is here.

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virga

CREDITS:

• Dr Jane Gregory is a clinical psychologist working in the NHS and her own private practice. Find her at cognitivebehaveyourself.com and @CBYourself

• This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman. All the music is by Martin Austwick. Hear and/or download more at thesoundoftheladies.bandcamp.com.

• Say hello to me at facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/helenzaltzman.

I'll be back in a fortnight with a new episode. If you like this show, do tell someone about it. Not in a creepy pyramid scheme way; play it cool.

- HZ

Allusionist 5: Latin Lives!

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Every week since September 1989, a radio station in Finland has broadcast a weekly news bulletin...in Latin. WHY? Let's find out! Visit theallusionist.org/latin to find out more about this episode. Tweet @allusionistshow, and convene at facebook.

For years, I've been wondering why a radio station in Finland broadcasts a weekly news bulletin in Latin.

And now, I have found out.

Antti Ijäs from Nuntii Latini - now the Finnish Broadcasting Company's longest-running programme - explains how he invents new Latin words for modern concepts, and why the show is important even though, outside of the Vatican, not many people speak Latin any more. Listen now via iTunes, your favoured podcast directory, or RSS.

FOR EXTRA CREDIT:

• Examine the vocabularies for Nuntii Latini.

• Explore Vicipaedia, the Latin Wikipedia.

• Sign up for your free monthly Latin puzzle book, Hebdomada Aenigmatum.

• Learn a whole load of interesting stuff from the Reading, Writing, Romans blog

• Try to understand the Papal tweets.

• Have you seen Plebs? It's worth it for the theme tune alone, but I’m particularly amazed that a sitcom has been commissioned that is not only full of jokes aimed at the ever-rarer breed that is Latin students, but targeted specifically at those who had The Cambridge Latin Course textbooks.

• Let's not forget the Latin grammar jokes in Monty Python's Life of Brian.

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Say hi at facebook.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/allusionistshow, and come back in a fortnight for the next episode.

Valete!

- HZ

CREDITS

• Presented and produced by Helen Zaltzman.

• Antti Ijäs has a blog about etymology, which makes me wish I understood Finnish.
  Here is Nuntii Latini's website (OK fine, here's an English translation) and the weekly bulletin is available as a podcast from iTunes.

MUSIC:

• 'Allusionist Theme' - Martin Austwick

• 'Latin Lingo' - Cypress Hill

• Theme from Carry On Cleo

• Theme from I, Claudius

• 'You Will Be Back Someday' - Kevin Tihista's Red Terror

Allusionist 1: Ban The Pun

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In late 2014, China announced it was to ban puns. Helen Zaltzman wishes she could ban puns in her own family. Warning: this episode features some hideous incidences of wordplay. Visit http://theallusionist.org/puns to find out more about this episode.

When it emerged I was going to make the Allusionist, I got a lot of people asking me, "Are there going to be puns in it?"

“No,” I cried! “No! I hate puns!”

This episode is about puns. 

I thought if I got them out of the way, we might never need speak of them again.

Late last year, China announced puns are to be banned across all media. Frankly, I wish I could ban them in my own family. I spoke to my brother Andy and my dad Zack about their punning which has blighted my life since 1980.

Perhaps all Zaltzmans should be tested for Witzelsucht Disease.

If you're a glutton for punishment, some brave soul has edited together nearly TWO HOURS of Andy's puns from his podcast The Bugle, which you can listen to here. Warning: high dose may prove fatal.

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gralloch

CREDITS

• Presented and produced by Helen Zaltzman.

• Andy Zaltzman can be found touring, on The Bugle podcast and tweeting as @zaltzcricket and @hellobuglers.

• Zack Zaltzman can be found in his studio trying out puns on his sculptures.

• Thanks to Chris Skinner.

MUSIC

• 'Allusionist Theme' - Martin Austwick

• 'China In Your Hand' [Instrumental] - T'Pau

• 'Here' - Tindersticks

- HZ