Episode 65: Is it a wonderful life?

For our final episode of the year, we look at a yuletide classic from a philosophical and existential angle, gently challenging the fairytale ‘happy ending’ and looking at other inconsistencies within what is close to being a perfect Hollywood tale of darkness rescued by light and hope. George Bailey and the other characters are archetypes that stay just the right side of being clichés, but there may well be more going on than meets the eye…   Following this, Antony makes some other observations about life and asks a few questions (don’t expect the answers!) about our human relationship to the world around us, with further connections made to the ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ film   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links Some famous scenes from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ The opening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79pIurpNARs&t=9s George and Mary fall in love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wABeIIjxmJk ‘You’re worth more dead than alive’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COAnVhYNbTI George receives a great gift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNQ76UyurLA A Christmas miracle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQVRxRlGdQ   Film Gold’s review of the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1o-yaBhGjY   Scott Phipps’s marvellous festive review for the ‘Stinking Pause’ podcast https://stinkingpause.libsyn.com/webpage/2018   Is the film’s ending actually happy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um3C3GHchZw   SNL’s alternative ending (Potter finally gets it…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw89o0afb2A   Scrooge sees the light (1951 version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FYV0BJJycs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPceYjVQVnw   The Beatles And A Mass of Humanity (life is people) https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/the-beatles-and-a-mass-of-humanity   Life Some famous quotes about life https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/life.html   The universe is waaay bigger than you think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7NzjCmUf0   Recommended books https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347852.The_Road_Less_Traveled https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16024912-fuck-it https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197782.Rogue_State

We complete our journey into Axel Rudakubana’s darkness with a look at some of the wealth of information uncovered by the recently-completed first phase of The Southport Inquiry, which has taken place at Liverpool Town Hall.   Special attention is given to the testimonies of Gary Poland, the unfortunate taxi driver who delivered Axel to the place of his atrocity, Axel’s brother Dion and their parents Alphonse and Laetitia.   The timeline is as imperfect as the system that sought to deal with a severe case of a ‘problem child’, as we jump around key events and try to make sense of a 5-year period in the Rudakubana family’s lives that saw an apparently well-adjusted 12 year old with a passion for acting and Doctor Who transform into a monster (as his father admits he now is).   The episode ends with some final thoughts from the Inquiry chairman as we try to build a brighter future   Thanks for listening and see you in December!   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links Liverpool Echo Inquiry updates in full (latest at the top) https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/live-southport-inquiry-updates-32420881   News reports regarding the testimonies of Gary Poland, Dion Rudakubana and Alphonse Rudakubana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waoIVeV-ZwY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFz7jTQeBbk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqRT1JtTB-Q   What is Trauma? https://psychcentral.com/health/what-is-trauma   Axel’s taxi ride, police arrival and arrest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72kZoJTw5FE&t=6s   Craig Houston on the rather strange Axel arrest video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxWO6gH1Tss   Police interviews with the child killers of James Bulger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaSq6RPqMrU

We conclude our latest follow-up episodes on Axel Rudakubana and his darkest of deeds on a summer’s day in Southport last July. In this part Antony looks at apparent ‘events’ involving Rudakubana - and the media coverage of them in a world awash with rumours and agendas - since his sentencing hearing in January and the award of a 52-year minimum term life sentence.   Parallel to this is the extraordinary suffering and bravery of the victims’ families and a remarkably poignant day at the London Marathon in April.  From there we move on to the ongoing government-commissioned Southport Inquiry, which seeks to clarify the precise events of July 29th and to try to shed light on how an apparently normal if withdrawn 12-year-old child could have been led to his monstrous actions   There will be at least one further update episode as the inquiry continues   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links Original LALO episode on the case https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-57-axel-rudakubana-explaining-the-unexplainable/   Axel’s brother speaks out https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15111537/Brother-Southport-killer-asks-officials-stopped-sibling-going-knife-rampage.html   Dion and Alphonse in the local newspaper https://sites.google.com/view/freenewsreport/how-dion-rudakubanas-new-wheelchair-transformed-his-daily-life https://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/sport/other-sport/alphonse-gets-wants---after-9480939   What did the parents know? https://news.sky.com/story/southport-victims-parents-say-killers-parents-knew-and-ignored-risk-he-posed-to-public-13432889   Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe run the London Marathon https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1k42p00wlwo   Charlie Bentley-Astor on the case https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1p-xnmnfA&t=115s   Ross Kemp in Belmarsh (does this look cushy?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgGf8u8Vn1Y   ‘One Day In Southport’ documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4mR2HUeUxE&t=116s   Axel’s Taxi ride and the arrival of the police https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72kZoJTw5FE

Following on from episode 57, we delve further into the dark world of Axel Rudakubana and the horrific attack(s) he perpetrated in sunny Southport last July. This time, Antony provides more details of the sometimes bizarre events surrounding the attack (without dwelling on the gory details), and also the media framing of the killer and the handling of this shocking ongoing ‘story’.   On this latter point, we are aided by a few paragraphs from Alain De Botton’s ‘The News: A User’s Manual’, which looks at the strange and compulsive relationship most of us have with the telling to us of the apparently most important events in a vast and complex world.   The Southport Inquiry is currently taking place in Liverpool, and part 2 will reveal more details and context from the wealth of information that the inquiry is providing on a daily basis.   As with the previous episode, there is also brief mention of the Lucy Letby case and John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman.   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links   Previous LALO episode on the case https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-57-axel-rudakubana-explaining-the-unexplainable/   Axel Rudakubana in a BBC Children In Need advert 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5wc1WqGScg   ‘One Day In Southport’ documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4mR2HUeUxE&t=116s   Axel’s Taxi ride and the arrival of the police https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72kZoJTw5FE   The policemen on the scene’s testimonies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6eFZU66wQ   Axel Rudakubana arrest video and Craig Houston’s take on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ye387OZYM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxWO6gH1Tss   Joel Verite testimony https://news.sky.com/video/man-describes-coming-face-to-face-with-southport-knife-attacker-13187561   Axel restrained by classmates at school https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OaiB03ZcYo0   Alain De Botton’s ‘The News: A User’s Manual (book link and Google talk by the author) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18282869-the-news https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4aAJrJB6h0   Media fakery? (different video to the one mentioned in the episode) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tocuyJ1Fu7U   ‘Lucy Letby Analysis’ (highly recommended you tube channel) https://www.youtube.com/@LLAnalysis/videos

After our journey in part 1 into anxiety and depression, we follow Matt Haig’s recovery, as detailed in his fine book ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’, and talk about all the great stuff in life, both big and small, with a little help from some of Antony’s friends and family -thanks again to all contributors- as he approaches his half century (hence the title).   Along the way, we explore regrets of the dying, how a healthy attitude to death can enhance our lives, and those moments of ‘the sublime’ that we experience a lot as children but seem to ‘grow out of’ as we pass into adulthood.   Declutter your soul, travel, take some exercise, express gratitude, stroke an animal, do whatever works…   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25733573-reasons-to-stay-alive   Stephen Fry’s 2-part documentary ‘The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtImgnj5DN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECv-24Ruu-o    Learning from ‘Regrets of the Dying’ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cop-doc/202301/learning-from-the-top-5-regrets-of-the-dying   The benefits of spending time with animals https://travelswithbibi.com/the-benefits-of-spending-time-with-animals   An Uplifting Conversation about depression (LALO 28) https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-28-an-uplifting-conversation-about-depression   The link between depression and creativity https://www.verywellmind.com/the-link-between-depression-and-creativity-5094193   Robert Greene on ‘The Sublime’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGMq4T7G0Mk   The universe is way bigger than you think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7NzjCmUf0   Derealisation https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depersonalization-derealization-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352911   How To Resist Advertising https://www.rationalhumanbeing.com/blog/how-to-resist-advertising-even-when-you-cant-escape-it   F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4837266-f-k-it   Derren Brown’s book ‘Happy’ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30142270-happy   Alain De Botton on ‘The News’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4aAJrJB6h0   Bill Hicks- It’s Just A Ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgzQuE1pR1w

We present the first of two episodes in the lead-up to Antony’s upcoming milestone birthday. The main part of this episode features extracts from the first two sections of Matt Haig’s excellent and popular 2015 book ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’.   This profound, readable and sometimes humorous book details Haig’s recovery from ‘a sustained bout of anxiety and depression’, and Antony interjects with (hopefully useful) observations and ideas for containment of negative feelings and emotions.   This is preceded by a look at anxiety and depression in terms of definitions, causes, symptoms and possible treatments.   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25733573-reasons-to-stay-alive   Stephen Fry’s 2-part documentary ‘The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtImgnj5DN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECv-24Ruu-o   LALO’s previous explorations of depression (Ep 28) and Life Coaching (episodes 19 & 44) https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-28-an-uplifting-conversation-about-depression/   https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-19-life-coaching-creativity-communal-experience-mental-health/ https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-44-life-coaching-the-inner-game-part-1-of-3/   Treatments for depression in the UK https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/conditions/depression/treatment/   The surprising benefits of journalling https://www.verywellhealth.com/journaling-7498123   Robert Greene: Imagined Pain vs. Reality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si93W7aO08U   Alain De Botton on ‘The News’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4aAJrJB6h0   F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4837266-f-k-it

We conclude our conversation with Peter Seal, the author of ‘The Self-Help Delusion: A Manifesto For Genuine Change’, a self-development book that seeks to help the reader evolve their way of thinking and inspire real and long-lasting life changes.   Once again, Antony and Peter discuss a range of topics, this time including anger/fear, hypnosis, NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), narratives, roles, beliefs, love and happiness.   Are us humans really just making it all up as we go along? Listen on…   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links Peter’s book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25593619-the-self-help-delusion   What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming? https://practicalpie.com/neuro-linguistic-programming/   An introduction to Transactional Analysis and recommended book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByUZI-DCiSM https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49176.Games_People_Play   The Art of Happiness https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38210.The_Art_of_Happiness   Derren Brown on hypnosis and happiness (Joe Rogan podcast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFeL7XGwJTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3DigsvZCXo   Marlon Brando on life and acting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slU3ATbH1Vg   The true scale of the universe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7NzjCmUf0

After entering dark territory with the previous episode, we return to lighter material with the first of a two-part conversation with Antony’s friend Peter Seal, the author of ‘The Self-Help Delusion: A Manifesto For Genuine Change’, which is a self-development book that seeks to help the reader evolve their way of thinking and inspire real and long-lasting life changes.   In this part, Antony and Peter discuss a range of topics, including human behaviour, time, the past-present-future relationship and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). In addition, if you want to know why the sky may not be blue, listen on…   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links Peter’s book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25593619-the-self-help-delusion   What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming? https://practicalpie.com/neuro-linguistic-programming/   The Artist’s Way (a spiritual guide to creativity) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/615570.The_Artist_s_Way   The Power of Now animated summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGtNgLSCqU   The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28257707-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f-ck   Michael Caine on using the difficulty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAB89fOdA-I

This is a rare true crime episode, trying (in vain) to understand the horrific crimes of Axel Rudakubana in Southport last summer. There is also some discussion of the Lucy Letby case and brief mention of John Lennon’s reviled killer Mark David Chapman, in terms of the psychology of crime and society's relationship to it.    We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...   Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   episode links   Axel Rudakubana BBC Children In Need advert 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5wc1WqGScg   BBC Panorama documentary https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027x2z   Taxi ride and arrest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hI7Hx995ks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ye387OZYM   Joel Verite testimony https://news.sky.com/video/man-describes-coming-face-to-face-with-southport-knife-attacker-13187561   LBC caller on Alphonse Rudakubana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqsaTpvp5Dc   Rob Ager deep dive on the 2024 post-Southport riots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umVQpAer1BU   The Psychological Effects of Bullying on Kids & Teens https://mastersinpsychologyguide.com/articles/psychological-effects-bullying-kids-teens/   Lucy Letby Was There Ever A Crime? (podcast series) https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/bdrfd-25f224/Was-There-Ever-A-Crime-The-Trials-of-Lucy-Letby-with-John-Sweeney-Podcast   Full interview with prosecution ‘star witness’ Dewi Evans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQleiz5P05k&list=PLisbmqPbVDrYRuFmluXVm5YDQhoRo5Pw2&index=3   Press conference of ‘new evidence’ conducted by Dr. Shoo Lee (Feb 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT8CO15IHMs   ‘According To Carl In The UK’ on Lucy Letby possible release https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Y9iUcbLRk

Completing our foray into advertising, mostly using Antony’s talk on Julian Charles’s excellent podcast ‘The Mind Renewed’ back in 2015, we dive deeper into Edward Bernays’s work and then segue into the darker underbelly of the craft, including the engineering of a military coup and the truly egregious and unethical snaring of innocent hearts and minds involved in advertising to children. On a lighter note we mention a few points made in Neil Sanders’s very entertaining presentation called ‘The Art of Creating Reality’ (see show notes). From there we talk about an excellent short video called ‘Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed’ (see show notes again) and how we have been trapped into a certain way of life. There are a few words from Antony at the end of the talk on this subject, and Antony and Julian offer some advice for combatting the controlling force of advertising.   See you on the other side for another episode soon   We hope you enjoy the show! If so, please subscribe, like, share etc...    Feedback to [email protected]   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lifeandlife75   Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeonly75   Support the show at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Antony’s website (blog, music, podcasts, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony’s John Lennon podcast https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com   If you are interested in very affordable Life Coaching, or know someone who might be, you can contact Antony on [email protected]   Link to Julian’s website/podcast and our original talk in full https://www.themindrenewed.com https://www.themindrenewed.com/episodes/2014-15/717-ep020   episode links Edward Bernays: A Brief History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdQ6HIzaSm4   ‘Company Store’ by Dissident Prophet (with lyrics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcx3T_UoHsU   Consuming Kids: The Commercialisation of Childhood (2008 doc) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaRsR7orTk   How Advertising Rewires Kids’ Brains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGN1ZEABk_Y   Neil Sanders - The Art of Creating Reality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXIRBU0LVWI   Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufeavz7d0GU   A Parent’s Guide to Resisting Television Advertising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQYMG0JnWw   Rory Sutherland’s superb TED talks ‘Perspective Is Everything’ and ‘Life Lessons of an Ad Man’ https://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_perspective_is_everything https://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man   Stephen Fry can’t stop shopping! (go to 44.55) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECv-24Ruu-o