Edward Dunphy
Graduate MA Writing Warwick 2011
Retired from doing too much.
Interested in matters of the mind and how we use the mind and how the mind uses us.
Check out my website on: teddunphy.co.uk
Location Redditch
Activity
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Genre –Young adult story of denied justice.
Main Protagonist –It is two years since sixteen-year-old Lucretia Wheatfield was raped by an older fellow pupil.
A goal – She wanted justice, but now has settled for success in her examinations that will let her move away and start a new life.
Obstacle – Her male dominated school protected its good name, the boys... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I use a lot of dialogue in my books and want to explore the process and the techniques in screenwriting in an attempt to improve my use of dialogue and to explore the options
of moving into screenwriting -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I am waiting for another Future Learn course to start in three weeks time and this one keep me active and deals with a topic of real interest and concern to me
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He taught us to drink in moderation but what he insisted on was to drink it with respect. Took me a long time to figure out he meant with respect for the talent and skill of the brewers and with respect for the strength of the drink. With both of those he said we would always - nearly always - be in command rather than the drink driving us.
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Thank you for your kind words. The website is my first effort. I had the help of a creative designer who taught me stuff I didn't even know existed and guided me through what I needed to do to have an attractive website. She is now teaching me about the next levels (I didn't know there were more!) but I have been bitten and want to learn and advance as much as...
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Help! As a complete beginner, but strongly aspiring to be an enthusiast, I do not know what editing software to use. Can anyone out there help with suggestions about where to start?
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
The comment from Walter Murch “editing - even on a ‘normal’ film - is not so much a putting together as it is a discovery of a path… ,” is almost the same principle as applies to editing a story or a novel. The path has to show itself to you as you work through it and then you can adjust what you keep or delete or how you mix the parts together to show that...
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Surely the best way is for the visual to say something additional to the vocals rather than just repeat it through a different sense.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
It has been a great learning week, opening up all sorts of possibilities and making me think not just about films I might make but has shown me different ways to appreciate what others have produced.
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The tips are all practical and seem simple but the combined effect makes for great filming. The articles are giving me a lot of food for thought. At the same time they are challenging me to think not only about what I film but also to see the work of others in a different light.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
It has been a struggle to catch up after my late start but I am getting there. The material is thought provoking and has set me wondering about a wider range of ideas and aspects of making even the briefest of films. I need time now to think through both the more theoretical considerations presented and the practical steps suggested.
My conclusion - most... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
These are challenging ideas when thinking about very short films. I find helpful the comment that some sense of opposition, of conflict, is central to the creation and telling of compelling stories on film. I now see how documentaries include conflict sometimes by inference as they present some topic, action or attitude and the assumption is that we have moved...
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Clearly a minefield to be crossed with great care.
How do I protect my own work with copyright? -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I learned the hard way the importance of having an efficient and effective recording system for gathering my research findings. Without such a system I faced time wasting, the irritation of not being able to verify some small fact and being unable to quote the source when challenged on a matter of fact.
The more I progress through the course the clearer it... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
Managing my health is now a high priority. I realise for a whole range of reasons that I must do most of the work here myself. Not in any spectacular way, but making sure I attend for scheduled health checks, take exercise, eat healthily, be conscious of my body and my mind so that they work more harmoniously.
My personal development has always been a key... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
My main strategy has to be exercise or I will finish up like one of those aliens in sci-fi stories with a head big enough to hold an overexercised brain on top of a spindly body that has never done more than turn a page or type at the keyboard.
My second strategy is to learn much more about ageing and to share my learning with as many people as possible. I... -
Hi John
Nobody seems to boil sausages these days. He used to boil them in onions and at the last minute added fresh mushrooms. He used a strong pepper to spice up the mix. The result was white sausages, so different from the golden brown ones we are used to, unless you travel abroad. I have seen white sausages in Singapore. -
I think it was being around them a lot that allowed much of their values and approaches to life to rub off on me. I suppose their goodness and welcome increased the impact they had on me and then the things I remembered that were not significant at the time, but were very practical, they linger with me. I don't see my grandchildren often so I wonder what they...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
I have joined in week 2 so I am catching up.
So far the articles have been positive in making me think about issues around film making that I had not considered before. Even after this short time of working through the sections I am looking at films on YouTube and on the TV in a different way. I need to do a lot of thinking and planning before I turn on a... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
This session set me thinking about the practical things my grandfathers taught me - how to find mushrooms early in the morning; the best way to boil sausages; not to be afraid of horses; how to tell when someone was lying; the safest way to drink Guinness; how to tune out annoying people; where was the best place to find wood for the fire; what off-cuts to ask...
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The African proverb rings many bells for me, "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second-best time is now." There is a sens of urgency now that was not there earlier in life and there are fewer dull distractions to take me away from 'tree planting'.
I signed up for another programme today on film making, a) because I can see the value of... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
A thought provoking article.
In addition, I would add to the list of longevity dividends the passing on of folk lore, the tales of the family and the attitudes to life that grandchildren need and receive best from grandparents. Our children are often treating their children the way they learned from their experience from us. I can take a step back and see how... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
Not so much grown more creative as I grew ode, more like I now make the time to develop this side of me. In addition a long life gives me a wealth of experiences on which to draw to build into my writing and helps me gain a more balanced view of the world and of the reality we create.
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I am working to extend my social contacts outside my immediate community and looking for world wide links. I like to travel and each time I make new friends and stay in contact through social media on my return.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
The proactive nature of their activities is great. I like the idea that they request that planners and builders put in age friendly spaces and facilities.
I struggle a bit with the point that the shed is for men with time on their hands. Where do they get that time? -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I like the intergenerational way of being socially connected. Mixing with young people is always refreshing. With social media I can meet all the people I want without worrying about transport or time limitations.
Being in the local community as an active neighbour, consumer and responding to individual calls for help adds another dimension to be socially... -
Edward Dunphy replied to Danny Velinski
Doing great out here Danny. The great benefit of this type of meeting is that it is not limited by time, duration, place or travel. I find loads of contact with community in local shops, library, friends, neighbours and being friendly to people I meet.
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Hi Rachel
Thank you for linking up. Delighted to make contact. I visited your lovely city a few years back and was charmed by it. My son and his family live in Auckland.
Like you I was a teacher for many years and agree that enthusiasm is the foundation for good teaching. I now find enthusiasm is the foundation for the positive life I am living and for the... -
Thank you Mary. I had some fun filled moments while studying with students and staff from other faculties and departments assuming I was a member of staff because I looked too old to be a student. Bluffing it on my appearance, we jumped queues a few times when I claimed my fellow students who were with me needed priority to go to a seminar with me!
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
I didn't think of retirement as a stopping of work, more of a change of activity. I am in control of what I choose to do - at work I had to fit in with time scales and plans set by others. I can flex my time and activities to suit the time of the year, the needs of family and the choices I make about what I do and when I do it. At work I had to squeeze this in...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Sabina does it again with her positive comments. I started into a university MA and a writing programme after 70. I have enjoyed every moment of it. With three books published, one on the way for July of this year and several more in the planning stage I think I can say it is never too late to go for what you want.
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I wrote several books, I do part time work and I have just produced a website that I will use to make contact with people far beyond my immediate circle.
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I'm with you Jacqui
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Yeah, Sabina back again with her sound and practical suggestions!
There is constant affirmation that cognitive reserve is linked to lifestyle factors including education and carrying out stimulating tasks which justifies the active life of mind and body that so many of us aspire to have. At the same time, the active lifestyle can be limited by physical... -
Since starting this programme I do more of these activities almost every day. The exercise routine is a big challenge for me, and I seek refuge int eh advice to do it slowly and gradually over time. (I must put a time frame on the 'gradua'). I notice I am more sensitive to issues surrounding age and do not take without challenge any remarkes about ageing that...
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I like the idea of a Wii balance board but worry about damage from tumbling around the floor. It would on the other hand be valuable for the when the grandchildren visit.
I didn't ralise self-motivation was a sensory information source. Still it makes sense. If I want to do something I get on with it, I am more alert to connections with other activites and my... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I was most impressed by the balanced and considered presentation of the range of information in these answers. Amidst the blizzard of rubbish published on nutrition and heath foods the answers here were like a cooling breath of simplicity and reasonablness.
Another star peformance by the team. -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
Another star commnicator on the team. This is a clear, simple, understandable presentation of some important considerations about nutrition and healthy ageing. Reading this article makes me think about my nutrition patterns and the components and about my rsponsibilities to take the issues in hand.
I loved the point that reminds us that "As individuals, we... -
Hello Jane
Sometimes I think we are beng pushed to be dependent because that makes for a more docile population to deal with whether it is on the level of the local community, the national one or even in those dreadful places disguised as care homes. Allowing people to be individuals requires scope for them to differ from each other and from those who run... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
All messages about nutriion are confused. Something will kill you last week but it is a cure-all this week.
Is there any way of finding clarity or at least revealing the context the writer is working in so the reader can understand the bias or the perspective on the interpretation given? -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I am building a wider range of relationships. The interaction with other members of this group is stimulating. I look forward to logging on and reading what contributions have been made. Seeing ‘likes’ against comments is a positive experience. Reading the comments some leave is the better way to draw me into conversations. I see this group as a practical step...
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Simple strategy steps following this week –
Challenge stereotypes. I wrote a novel based on challenging stereotypes about retired people. It is meant to make you laugh but it makes a serious point.
Develop my brain through the exercises and read more of the work of Sabina Brennan (is she one of the Westport Brennan’s?). She is a scientist who makes sense of... -
The up side was that we could see or feel what the problems were. The young today may have all they seem to need but their problems are mainly outside their control or they are difficult to pin down. If we did not have the money for the bus we walked. What do they do today when they are being bullied on the internet or cannot afford to live independently...
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You have reached an impressive level if you know you can choose how to respond. To me that is the best state to be in if I am to be independent and in charge of my life. It is so easy to be pulled around by the emotions others produce in us. If we can have the brake on our emotions that you describe then we are in a very good place.
Anger can be a postiive... -
i was thinking about those situations Jan when I wrote my comment. I agree that the labels could be applied to soem of those good friends.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Great, practical advice in this article.
I would blank our the box giving my age until we had considered other factors first and then have a look at the relevance if any of the age factor. -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I find no fault with any of the points made in this article.
I do like the fact that to the list of 'Don’t smoke, drink alcohol in moderation, eat a balanced healthy diet and take regular exercise – easy!' we can now add 'Sex itself can be a form of exercise' and so much more. Who said thoughts of growing old was all to do with being without things we... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I benefited from growing up in a large and interactive family. We are scattered all over the globe now. My own sons and grandchildren are not within easy reach. I still love and value all of them but my way of life now does not depend on them. If anything, particularly when dealing with my own children and grandchildren I think it is important to give them the...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
From a conceptual point of view the outline in this session looks reasonable and with a bit of thought the various types of intergenerational relationships can give a decent label for what we do or what we feel about those in the family.
What about individuals with no family left?
What about those from disfunctional families where escape was the only option... -
Back then walking the whole way saved all the money, or was a necessity because of not having the money.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Sabina is back in top form again.
Beta amyloid plaques sound a right handful except they spark off my cognitive reserve activity. No wonder I feel tired at the end of a long day with all that activity going on in my brain. It sounds like a battlefield in there.
I have to admit I am not good on the physical activity part of the suggested remedies. Being... -
Edward Dunphy replied to Edward Dunphy
No need even for a tiny bit jealous, Jacky. Crack on and do what you like to do and what you want to do.
My writing is a great source of delight to me, other readers can make up their own mind.
If you want to write, just do it. I can't say it enough that writing comes about when you write and write often. I took a long time and the support of some great... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
The neuroplasticity concept is very heartening. The reminder that lack of attention is probably more prevalent than memory loss is another positive brick on the yellow brick road to remaining active and positive. The negative feedback loop of self talk about senior moments is a telling reminder as to how much we can talk ourseves into decline if we are not...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Negative thoughts, especially those generated by negative people are killers. I dump the thoughts and avoid the negative people as much as possible by surrounding myself with positive people and positive situations. My ever-shortening time horizon is bought at too high a cost to be frittered away putting up with individuals who would drain me.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
What is the best for of social support?
Grief and sorrow can be devastating and come like a massive wave that never seems to recede. I learned to ignroe thse who said 'it will go away, give it time'. It dosen't go away. I learned to live with it by keeping it under control. I concentrate on the positive, fondly remembered images of the loved person rather... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
The strategies are as many as there are sufferers. Each person has to find their own way forward. We know that talking therapy of whatever sort does help. Avoiding negative people and their ways and recognising the deadly (literally, sometimes) threat of negative thoughts can also put anxieties in their place - far away and out of the way of doing us harm....
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I know what you mean about the exercise!! I find a quiet ten minute sit down of reflecdtion soon sorts teh issues by putting the in perspective.
The battle with small things that alter moods is always difficult. I don't see small things until they are right in my face but even then it is not too late to see them as a trigger that alerts me to whatever is... -
Edward Dunphy replied to Edward Dunphy
I think that the regret that you rightly identify is one of the key motivators for me not to waste the time ahead of me. After a lifetime of learning skills, developing knowledge and understanding, especialy of myself i know now I have the capability to be involved in creating a wide range of situations and actitivies that i will enoy and hopefully will bring...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
A touch of anxiety or worry can alert us to an issue that needs to be sorted. How we respond to the alert makes all the difference. There are many strategies available to peope of all ages so they can stop worry or anxiety gettingout of hand. That is the critical point and it is not related to age. Different ages may have different isses to address, but that...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Using the four key elemets in teh boxes makes more sense than the questions. Like all such questions they can be too particular or they need another answer that says 'a bit of each of the answers'. The CASP-19 gives more detail to the three elemnts I identified in the last list of comments and I am happy to go there.
Whether or not it captures what is... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
My opinion about the quality of life has changed. I used to think it was about things and nice places, big successes in my work and being with people. Each of those was linked with finances, mobility and connections. Over time I saw those elements shrink in importance as the time horizon shortened. Now I find there are so many options to choose from to make...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Difficult one to reduce the quality of life to three essential elements.
Eithne eliminates some of the more commonly accepted elements. I would see quality of life being one where the individual had options, no matter if the range is limited by physical factors because the individual will decide what are limiting factors and if they can be overcome....
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Edward Dunphy replied to Marie Ferry
And as the man said 'the glass is beautiful'
More power to you Marie for your strength and survival of what must have been terrible times. -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
The map was not very helpful in showing me anything other than at different times, in very general terms, I have grown happier as I aged. That had nothing to do with aging but with the factors that were influencing my life, many of which were outside my control. It gave me no insight into why or how I responded to the factors.
I can only guess about the... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I thik Laura Carsteson hit the nail on the head when she said research showing older people being happy was probably down to their time horizons shortening. A great presentation and well worth viewing over again. Gives me pause for thought.
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Would it be more appropriate to say 'you are ok', rather than 'life isok' Your attitude is so positive and your approach is s comprehensive that you meet the three elements required for well being. Happiess is the bonus. Impressive.
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Hi Katherine
I agree with the fleeting emotion comment. I can experience a surge of happiness but I can work on creating wellbeing as a more lasting phenomenon. -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I like the simple division of wellbeing into it three parts. Each of these parts can be directed by the individual and can result from positive thought and purposeful actions. I look forward to the life audit and putting into practice the saying life is lived going forward but we make sense of it looking backward.
I think people who have lived long tend to... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
The materials this week were thought provoking and helpful. Having conversations with participant is difficult when it is impossible to read all the comments made because of the number of them.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Maybe I missed the point, but observing and categorising one or other elements of a generation is sinking into generalisations that are of no use to anyone. I control my behaviour, I decide if I conform or not to what is presented (by the media!?) as the benchmark that marks out my generation from others. These characteristics might do as a generalisation but...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Just this mornign on news item about 'old folks' shots of three people in 80s with focus on their shoes (velcro tied) knarled hands and then shot from back to shoe posture that was not great. Tone of piece was about the feeble and the helpless and unfortunate aspect of old age.
Why do people let the media film them this way?
I deplore those ads telling me to... -
Hi Valerie
Thank you for the suggestions. I will add them to my chart. So far, no other suggestions, so you have the floor for 30+ and 50+ -
Go for it Maggie. Let us know how you get on.
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Like the phrase 'Old is Gold'.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Useful article that reinforces the concept of selftalk that on one hand is a good thing as when it keeps us attentive, but on the other hand leads to a decline when negative images are encountered and held, without justification.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
I feel good about ageing. What else is there to do? It happens and recognising it and adopting new responses to the different challenges puts me in charge.
My father always said he never retired he only changed his job to something that suited his new way of interacting with the world. We calcualted with him one night in the pub that he 'changed his job'... -
Edward Dunphy replied to Susan Lyle
My mother in her later years had a wonderful way of dealing with officials and medical people who spoke down to her or directed their attention to whoever was accompanying her (i.e. had driven her to the appointment). She would turn to us and ask in a deliberately loud voice, 'does he think I am stupid that he has to talk like that. Tell him I am old, not deaf...
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Hi Coleen
Constant reference to someones age in the media is irrelevant, yet often in reports on accidents the age is emphasised if the person is 'old' in the eyes of the reporter. You might as well say all young people are unreliable, all old people should be locked up for their own sake and only the ones of your age should be allowed to be in charge and do... -
My grandparents were active lively minded and independent people ito their nineties so I suppose I escaped the prejudice against the old but the film made me conscious of how prevalent it is. I no longer let ageism go unchallenged but try to do so in a senstiive but firm way. I hate it when I hear more mature aged people say to youngsters, 'wait until your my...
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Hi Susan
A friend of mine, a former nurse, has always advocated doing what you wrote in your image of sharing accommodation for old and young on the same site.
When I returned to university at a ripe age I found mixing with young students energising and also surprising that they did not know about many of the events that I had assumed were part of everyones... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
I wrote a novel about a group of retired men who fight against being overlooked and taken for granted. I wanted a cover for the book that gave a clear message about the prejudices regarding age. I tried to post the cover here but I couldn't do it. You can check out the cover if you type Ted Dunphy onto the Amazon search page and see the cover for yourself. In...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
The choices exercise was very telling in showing the latent prejudice regarding people of different ages. I made the choice to save the young person then was taken aback when asked to choose between a black and white person and between a man and woman.
I am doing my best to avoid using old, older, elderly and senior. I tried devising a range of titles that... -
Edward Dunphy made a comment
Being responsible for your own health is now almost a necessity, unless you are in desperate strights and need the support of professionals and hopefully you live somewhere where you can access these. The community has to be the family, the locality and the worldwide one.
Not many comments so far on personal development. I notice some of us refresh the... -
Edward Dunphy replied to Jane Brace
Not even a state of mind but a change of attitude to where you fit in with society and where you are comfortable bieng with yourself
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Edward Dunphy replied to Michael Davenport
Better still, think of what you still have to do and what you can look forward to.
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Edward Dunphy replied to evelyne phelan
I threaten the doctors, the nurses, the dentists and the sixth formers who run the opticians that if they look at my details on their screen before they give me a careful evaluation i will challenge their grasp of all the facts. They check my age on their screen and sigh and I know what is coming next "It's your age'. The answer to that is 'How do you know...
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
Am I old? No. I walk more slowly. I am conscious of keeping healthy. I am aware of the many benefits I have acquired as I worked my way through to this rich age (only 76 and a good few good years yet to go to learn and create.)
As an 'old' person I might act as a curator of the past but I prefer to act as a creator of the future.
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Edward Dunphy made a comment
'Old' is the label society plonks on individuals. It is an easy shorthand to use to sum up all the assumptions, perceptions and projected expectations society likes to construct around individuals to make that group more manageable. The label is used in the same as we use names like 'the blind', 'the foreigner', 'the religious', 'the young', 'the...
