The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied

The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied

Maybe it’s all the rain we’ve had this week, but our thoughts have been with all things water and water dwelling.

Any BLT regulars will know our love of animal-based news stories, and in this episode, we managed to include two!

So, get your wet suit on and join us as we take a dive through the stories and easter eggs in this week’s BLT!

Do you have some news that’s perfect for the BLT that we’ve missed? Tell us, and find out more about how we work by getting in contact today!

Can you see the carp for the crap?

UK waterways can’t be much fun for fish at the moment. An interactive map released by Thames Water has revealed the shocking scale of untreated sewage discharges entering our rivers.

At the village of Marsh Gibbon, sewage was discharged for 395 hours (16 days). For more details and reaction, read this article.

Lake visitor does not get seal of approval 

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that one seal has found its way to fresher water and made Rochford Reservoir in Essex it’s home. The seal has avoided being captured and has been described as ‘living its best life’, surrounded by expensive and delicious fish. So far, it’s got through £3000 worth.

It’s safe to say that Nick North, who manages the reservoir for Marks Hall Fisheries is not impressed. Find out more about this intrepid, and presumably vey satisfied seal, here.

James Pond strikes again

We love a good visual reference and couldn’t resist adding a callback to everyone’s favourite video game hero and underwater secret agent, James Pond. What we love most is the tagline to James Pond 2, “he's mean, he's green, he's part machine,” none of which is true.

Seaside town sees too much

While the Rochford seal hasn’t won everybody over, Thor the walrus has made a much better impression on the residents of Scarborough. So much so, that they cancelled the fireworks on New Year’s Eve to stop him getting distressed.

As the parent shielding his child’s eyes shows, Scarborians aren’t completely happy with Thor, who has some very public and very intimate habits….

We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s BLT! We can’t wait to bring life together next week in another news round-up. We love using visual thinking and visual storytelling to create connected and layered whiteboard animations like this. We’d love to talk to you about how your message could look as a whiteboard animation, contact us today!

Previous BLT Episodes
The BLT Episode 28: Grub's up, Dog's Down and Italian's Across
The BLT Episode 28: Grub's up, Dog's Down and Italian's Across

Give us the week’s offbeat news stories, and we’ll sum them up in an image, bringing them into the same universe.

Artboard 1.png
The BLT Episode 27: Winnie Tattooed

A lot can change in 102 years and this BLT delves into some of the odder differences between those innocent days of 1921 and … now.

The BLT Episode 26: Being Human, Infinite Possibilities
The BLT Episode 26: Being Human, Infinite Possibilities

We all want to feel special. But this week’s news has us wondering if the lines separating humans from animals, and even machines, are increasingly blurring.  

The BLT Episode 25: Juan Good Turn Deserves a Mother
The BLT Episode 25: Juan Good Turn Deserves a Mother

From Peru to China to Australia, here are the offbeat news stories that made it into our latest BLT. 

The BLT Episode 24: Wrapped
The BLT Episode 24: Wrapped

As Bob Dylan said, ‘these times, they are a-changing’. This week, we’ve taken a look at the impacts of changes in the publishing climate and the planetary climate.

The BLT Episode 23: Much Ado About Puffin
The BLT Episode 23: Much Ado About Puffin

As Bob Dylan said, ‘these times, they are a-changing’. This week, we’ve taken a look at the impacts of changes in the publishing climate and the planetary climate.

The BLT Episode 22: Skip The Crap
The BLT Episode 22: Skip The Crap

From treasure to tragedy, art to the amoral, we’ve crammed a lot into this week’s BLT. It’s a sandwich Scooby Doo and Shaggy would be proud of. 

The BLT Episode 21: Lawyers of Tut
The BLT Episode 21: Lawyers of Tut

We are back with more fresh cuts and unlikely combinations that take us from pest control all the way to the potential resurrection of the dodo!

The BLT Episode 19: Dear Beer and the Poultry Pioneer
The BLT Episode 19: Dear Beer and the Poultry Pioneer

A puzzling week indeed. If our BLT left you bewildered or whet your appetite for more detail about the week's stories, this blog is for you. 

The BLT Episode 18: Bills, Beasts and Beelzebub
The BLT Episode 18: Bills, Beasts and Beelzebub

Your visual news sandwich is back. This week it includes the Public Order Bill, an increase in Satanism members and energy bills.

The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied
The BLT Episode 17: Sewage, Seals, Self-Satisfied

Get your wet suit on and join us as we take a dive through through the stories and easter eggs in this weeks BLT!

The BLT Episode 16: Gyms, Goats and Goblins
The BLT Episode 16: Gyms, Goats and Goblins

2023: Back to porridge, back to the commute, back to the gym (if you're so inclined), and back to the BLT. 

Thank you, Ma'am
Thank you, Ma'am

Thank you, Ma’am, for all you have done for us.

The BLT Episode 15: Gourd of the Rings
The BLT Episode 15: Gourd of the Rings

This week’s BLT reimagines the poster for Apocalypse Now, replacing Colonel Walter Kurtz with a crying dog. To find out how it all connects to the real world, read on.

The BLT Episode 14: Thief In Turd
The BLT Episode 14: Thief In Turd

The news this week has given us plenty to get our teeth into. From cat cameos to magnetic slime, all with unexpected links and crossovers.

The BLT Episode 13: Meat the Ancestors
The BLT Episode 13: Meat the Ancestors

Beginning with a moral dilemma, this week’s BLT touches on some ham-related scandals, the future of tattoos, and some of the lesser-known, more bizarre implications of our warming world.

The BLT Episode 12: Only Fowls and Horses
The BLT Episode 12: Only Fowls and Horses

Surprise surprise, animals featured heavily in this week’s BLT: from those caught up to no good to those that help maintain law and order.

The BLT Episode 11: Bin Through A Lot
The BLT Episode 11: Bin Through A Lot

Things got heated this week in more than one sense. Let’s unpack some of this week’s news stories and curiosities, plated up and delivered hot off the press in this week’s BLT.

The BLT Episode 10: Booze, Lawsuits and Telescopes
The BLT Episode 10: Booze, Lawsuits and Telescopes

There are a few things certain in this life. The classics include death and taxes, but if this week is anything to go by we can discoveries and consequences.

The BLT Episode 9: Of Ice and Men
The BLT Episode 9: Of Ice and Men

The BLT often includes animal content, and this episode is no exception, as we weave through the news stories that piqued our interest this week

The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'
The BLT Episode 8: Enzymes, They Are A-Changin'

This week’s episode takes us from old English woods to orbiting satellites as we tune in to the natural world’s response to climate change and create ways to reduce pollution and live more sustainably.

The BLT Episode 7: Running Up That Bill
The BLT Episode 7: Running Up That Bill

Of course, this week's BLT had to be themed around Glastonbury festival as it kicks off for the first time in 3 years.

Read on for more details about the festival and the other hot topics that made it into the BLT.

The BLT Episode 6: Putting I.T. Bluntly
The BLT Episode 6: Putting I.T. Bluntly

It’s been an exciting week for discoveries! Some have brought hope and sadly, some have reminded us of the impact we are having on this marvellous planet we call home. There have been a few losses this week, however.

The BLT Episode 5: Knighty McKnightface
The BLT Episode 5: Knighty McKnightface

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The BLT Episode 4: The Jubilee Special
The BLT Episode 4: The Jubilee Special

It’s not every week that there is a Platinum Jubilee! We’ve chosen to focus this week’s BLT on Her Majesty, looking into some of the curiosities of the crown.

The BLT Episode 3: The Winner Techs It All
The BLT Episode 3: The Winner Techs It All

This week we tackle the virtual and the real, taking you below the sea and back to dry land.

The BLT Episode 2: Bots Are Everywhere
The BLT Episode 2: Bots Are Everywhere

Your weekly sandwich of visual news. This week it features other universes, Elon Music, mutant bacteria, pink pigeons and much much more.

The BLT Episode 1: Liquid Thinkers - Calling time on Party-gators
The BLT Episode 1: Liquid Thinkers - Calling time on Party-gators

The BLT combines our passion for visual thinking, the week’s news and our creative team to create a delicious visual treat for your feed every week!

The We Are Cognitive Blog
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Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock and Roll All Night (and Refine Every Day)
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99 Problems: Good Enough Isn’t Great: It’s easy to coast when you have success
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The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint
The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint

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99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?
99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?

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Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?
Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?

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Hick's Law: The Overwhelming Choice of Dilemma
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Picture this: You walk into a diner with a menu the size of a small novel. You’re hungry, but now you’re stuck—overwhelmed by choice, paralysed by indecision. Welcome to Hick’s Law in action, a psychological principle that’s been quietly dictating human behaviour since the 1950s...

99 Problems: Chasing the Market
99 Problems: Chasing the Market

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99 Problems: Overcoming Burnout

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Signal to Noise: Navigating the Creative Cosmos

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Closure: The Unsung Hero of Visual Thinking
Closure: The Unsung Hero of Visual Thinking

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Archetypes: The Blueprints of Our Minds and Why We Should Care
Archetypes: The Blueprints of Our Minds and Why We Should Care

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Error: The Key To New Pathways And Understanding

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Visual Metaphors: The Powerful Tool At The Heart Of Visual Thinking

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How To Get The Most From Mind Mapping

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How To Make An Explainer Video

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Why Are Explainer Videos So Effective?
Why Are Explainer Videos So Effective?

Explainer videos take your vision, message and story and transform them into a feast of storytelling, visual thinking and inspiring communication. This feast is served in the perfect way to capture your complexity and depth, and serve it up to your audience.

Top 5 Ways Explainer Videos Enhance Brand Identity
Top 5 Ways Explainer Videos Enhance Brand Identity

When it comes to your brand, video offers a whole range of ways to feature your brand both subtly and more directly.

Andrew Park

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