Perking up with Percolated Coffee

A rough day…
Joseph: I felt so down cycling back from town that I stopped for a freshly percolated coffee at Excelsior Caffé. That perked me up.
Wolfgang: Some have such sensitive and gloomy natures! What brought you so low this time?
Joseph: Brother-in-law wrote that he had been knocked around by chemo and radiation. I felt hungry because of this girth-reducing diet I’m on. I lost a video editing gig, at the ATM got confused and forgot my card PIN number. And being between houses, I felt homeless putting all my belongings in boxes. Plus, just feeling old… all this deepened my depression.
Wolfgang: Wow, that’s a good cluster of downers.
Joseph: Seriously, it was a rough day. The coffee helped a bit, though.
Wolfgang: Glad the coffee perked you up. And you have me to unload onto, right?
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Voice-over
Coffee to tide you over the dietary downs, and friends to bring you up from down under.

Can someone hand me a rope?

A telephone conversation…

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Kermit: Hello. (rising intonation)

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Sam: Hello. (falling intonation)

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Kermit: Something wrong? You OK?

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Sam: I’m depressed.

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Kermit: What’s up?

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Sam: Rain, Grey sky. No coffee. Honey pot’s empty.

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Kermit: Come over here. I can lift your spirits.

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Sam: Can’t move. I’m depressed.

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Kermit: I can counsel you on the phone. But it’ll cost you.

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Sam: Money’s all gone.

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Kermit: You can pay it back in your will.

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Sam: Won’t be any will. Entire estate will be used up to pay fines for overdue library books.

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Voice-over

Country's going to the dogs.

Is Sam the American Eagle’s depression connected with the current state of the U.S. politics?

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Sam was always appalled by the nonsense that passes for entertainment. I wouldn’t doubt that Sam is also appalled about the shenanigans that passes for American politics these days.

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I heard Sam say in one episode, in a deeper than usual depressive tone, “Can someone hand me a rope?” But google doesn’t seem to suggest a link to that episode. Anyone know of it?
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Contrasting Two Economists

Test question…

Yusuke: What kind of question is this? "Identify the men in the photograph and explain their ideas." Do you recognize them?

Masa: No idea. But we could google images of economists and see what comes up.

Yusuke: Some keywords might also help.

Masa: Like solving clues in a detective story.

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Voice-over

The question...

Identify the two men in the photograph. Explain their different approaches to economics. Leave responses as comments below.

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Expressions of depression

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Vith walks in; George is lying on the sofa. With the light on.

Vith: Why aren't you at work?

George: Just so much to be done.

Vith: [observing stack of unopened magazines and letters on floor] Some of these look like they could do with a lookover.

George: Weather. Can't face them. Need to sleep.

Vith: So it's a dull day. The toast burned. Get over it.

George: You go. I'll just...

Vith: Tell you what. Let me put the letters into piles. Urgent, non-urgent, throw.

George: That'd be nice.

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Voice-over

Much of the sense of resignation is in body language. Some of it is in falling intonations at the end of declarations. An air of giving up pervades the conversational atmosphere. Negative comments prevail. There is no sense of what can be done, only what can't be done.

How to answer? Remonstrations or coercive comments like "Get over it" produce no effect. So subtly suggest something positive. Don't offer to help with comments like "Shall I...?". Take control of something needing attention. Gentle management. "Tell you what. Let me..."

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