Now that's what I call an ultimatum!!

There's a great piece in my newspaper today, about how famous songs have been badly misheard. With my hearing the way it is, I couldn't resist Blogging - though it's all from a book out called: "Misheard Lyrics, malapropisms, Eggcorns and other linguistic gaffes". I doubt I'll buy it, but I've just read a few classics and I just have to share them.

"Stab in the Liver, Your mummy or your wife". Now this is a serious ultimatum!! It's a 1981 hit for Adam Ant - stepping into Gareth territory here - with that famous highwayman one. As you'll probably know, he actually sang: "Stand and deliver, your money or your life".

"The only boy who could ever reach me was the son of a pizza man". Dusty Springfield, Son of a Preacher Man. Extra cheese anyone? ;-)

"Then I saw her face, now I'm gonna leave her". It's the Monkees, with I'm a believer. And possibly, second doubts!

"Sweet dreams of Maitre'Ds". Or even "Sweet dreams are made of cheese". Eurythmics. (Sidenote: What was the cow doing in that video??)

More fame and glory??

I've just been rung by the publicity office. At short notice, Look North want me in the studio at 6.30pm tonight. *LIVE* As ever, faced with something I wasn't expecting, I decided to bottle it. Looking back, I'm starting to regret it already. Not for the experience - which I'm sure would be absolutely terrifying - but because some other psychologist might get my fame and fortune now!!

How selfish am I? :)

Slow Day

It's a Monday, and it's out of term time - University starts on a late looking 24th September this year - and it's quite warm. My office fan is on full blast, but it's hard to shake a real sense of lethargy. It's not helped by the construction site outside - they don't seem to have moved much since June. ;-)

Oh, and proof...

...that the rest of the island doesn't look like a volcanic hell-hole, here's what the habitable part tends to look like. Dark black roads, brilliant white pavements and houses, and landscaped volcanic ash and bushy palm trees everywhere. Lanzarote in a nutshell. This is the main road into Costa Teguise (when we stayed).

He's back!!

Well, it's taken a few days but I'm back to blogging! We got back from Lanzarote on Sunday but I spent Monday in Huddersfield and Tuesday catching up with my inbox. I'm sort of on top of things now. It's a good job it's only August - White Rabbits, btw - things get crazy here in September. We have a host of Canary Island photos to inflict on you all when I get the chance, but it's enough to let you know what the place was like. First off though is an image (above) from the Timanfaya National Park to the west of the island. There are over 100 volcanoes in the area, most setting off between 1730 and 1736. The last was in 1824 but since it rains so rarely, everything still looks as desolate as it did then! For a while, it was very creepy indeed (About half the island looks like this!)

James on the box - Part Two

Well, it's done. It was more than I thought too. Turns out that Look North are doing a special on the flood disaster - showing next Wednesday (25th) on BBC1 at 7.30. East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire definitely - SKY channel 997 - and I'll be on there, talking to Paul Hudson, the regional weather guy. It was very weird when he came up and said hello as I felt I knew him! We also had to do some walking towards the camera - that took *a few* goes thanks to lawn mower men, people walking in front of the camera, and the construction that's going on round campus while the students are away. Turns out that you have to be very, very patient to be in TV.

So not tomorrow, but next week. (Obviously, I'll still need a copy, as I'll be in Lanzorote!) Now, on to today's graduation ceremony!! Yes, a James-in-his-suit occasion. Not many of those about...!

James on the box

I hope no-one minds but I can't resist mentioning this. I'm going to be on the telly next week! Look North - the BBC local news programme - are coming to interview me about the short and long term effects of the flooding we've had recently. They've asked someone from the department and it ended up being me. I'm all excited!! :)

Psychology 101

These last couple of weeks, there's been a fair few coach loads of kids about. AS-level students, GSCE students etc and the university often runs Masterclasses for the various subjects, trying to get give the kids an informed choice and to make them come to the University of Hull when they finish school. Dave and I have been roped into this twice now, once for 20 17-yr olds and just this morning for 100 15 year olds. Both times, it went well. I spoke a bit about Gestalt psychology (which came out of Germany in the 30s at the same time as Nazism so unfairly, wasn't all that fashionable for a few years after the war). Anyhow, it gave me an excuse to dig out a few of the psychology "classics": these two pictures included. The first is the good old Rabbit/Duck picture. The second however, caused a few problems with some of the lads in this mornings session. There is a gender difference in this second one as men have evolutionary reason to spot younger women, but not older ones. There was two lads this morning who could *NOT* see the older woman at all. Not without myself - and several of their friends trying to point the older face out for the best part of two minutes. When the penny finally dropped, it was brilliant. "OOOOOOH!" :)