tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66229282024-03-08T10:29:25.143+00:00Musings of a mobile marketerI am Helen Keegan, a veteran of mobile marketing, advertising and media since 2000. This is my diary and musings about mobile since 2004. I am part consultant and part events organiser in London, Barcelona & beyond (Swedish Beers & Heroes of the Mobile Fringe). I write here about mobile tech and media, and some other stuff too.Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.comBlogger959125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-5453655664925378192024-02-13T16:55:00.004+00:002024-02-13T16:55:53.141+00:00Yes, we're heading back to Barcelona for Swedish Beers! Join me on Wednesday 28 February.<p>Yes, it's that time of year mobile friends. The GSMA is expecting about 90,000 of us to descent on Barcelona at the end of the month for our annual shindig celebrating all things mobile technology. And thanks to you lovely lot making last year's reunion sooooo good, we are coming back to Barcelona one more time. If you are an executive working in or with the mobile industry please do RSVP. Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues too.</p><p>We're back at Space Cowboy as they looked after us so well last year. We'll be open from 7pm until late. No admission after 01:00. We will revert to a pay bar if/when the beer tokens run out. Photo ID (eg. your MWC pass) may be required. We reserve the right to refuse admission. </p><p>The format will be the same as previous years - a relaxed evening, no formalities, no presentations. Please come with an open mind, be prepared to see friends old and new, chat, enjoy a drink or three (courtesy of our sponsors) and have yourself a good time. Oh, and leave the ties, the corporate personas and the sales spiel at the door! There's no need for them here. The Swedish Beers crew and the friendliest bar staff in town will be on hand to welcome you.</p><p>If you'd like to support the party by being a sponsor, <a data-airgap-id="317" href="mailto:swedishbeers@[atremovethis]gmail.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank" title="mailto:swedishbeers@[atremovethis]gmail.com">please get in touch with Helen</a>. The more sponsors, the more beer tokens. Last-minute supporter level options are available allowing you to have your own beer tokens to distribute on the night.</p><p>See you in Barcelona.</p><p>Skål</p><p>Helen and Team Swedish Beers</p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p>
<div id="eventbrite-widget-container-806935043437"></div>
<script src="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/static/widgets/eb_widgets.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var exampleCallback = function() {
console.log('Order complete!');
};
window.EBWidgets.createWidget({
// Required
widgetType: 'checkout',
eventId: '806935043437',
iframeContainerId: 'eventbrite-widget-container-806935043437',
// Optional
iframeContainerHeight: 425, // Widget height in pixels. Defaults to a minimum of 425px if not provided
onOrderComplete: exampleCallback // Method called when an order has successfully completed
});
</script>
<p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p>
<p>Like us on Facebook <a data-airgap-id="318" href="http://facebook.com/swedishbeers" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank" title="http://facebook.com/swedishbeers">http://facebook.com/swedishbeers</a></p><p>Follow us on Twitter <a data-airgap-id="319" href="http://twitter.com/swedishbeers" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank" title="http://twitter.com/swedishbeers">http://twitter.com/swedishbeers</a></p><p>See our blog for parties past <a data-airgap-id="320" href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fswedishbeers.org%2F&h=TAQGpkE1e&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fswedishbeers.org%2F&h=TAQGpkE1e&s=1">http://swedishbeers.org/</a></p><p><em>Please note, RSVP'ing here or on Facebook DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU ENTRY! We managed to get everyone in who wanted to come last year so don't be put off! The queue does move quite quickly. All are welcome to attend if you are working in and around the mobile industry and enjoy a good chat. You may be asked for ID on entry. There might be a queue which usually goes down pretty quickly - Spanish licencing law requires us to keep to a specific capacity. We reserve the right to refuse entry. Beer tokens valid while bar tab lasts. No admission after 01:00.</em></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-61319753460145851122024-01-02T17:38:00.004+00:002024-01-02T19:45:10.013+00:00Odd One Out - the Google Arts & Culture Experiment<p>"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." That's one of Clark's three laws, and "Odd One Out" is proving it according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/george.nimeh/posts/pfbid02TwCnh9bAo4GfbkJ1LPbsb7GYiyF4uMkowcePGNMApBSX88ftXhMEiP6BskPfBdatl" rel="nofollow">George Nimeh</a>.</p><p>Odd One Out is an interactive game asking you to spot the AI generated image amongst four images presented to you, the other three being images of artworks created wholly by human artists.I have no background in visual art at all, but I did manage to go a few rounds without being out and scored 219. It's not easy though. Instinctively, I could spot some of the AI fakes, but they were not all obvious at all. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/odd-one-out/wAHNn4JsVTFOiw?hl=en" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1857" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAxvktghu6sGPScfV_S6nJktHabthVszrFOq47H4N5brBmxuEvXcPOJorKg36qBo0hkj3MW_GMrLaSN3IyloA_2NlCz2iGK4LQ0N0uDKfreZiyPzhp5scSOcK6bbH_vCu38teDqpOglreW3MpOW4oL78sxVStt7rwWMA6tNmjnPdRy3t4bzD14A/w400-h185/odd%20one%20out%20game.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Of course, humans have also created the AI images. Prompts have to be written and the image chosen to be presented in the game. The software behind the image generators was created and written by humans. This makes me question where the line is drawn between human art and AI assisted art. It's blurred. And of course, this game or experiment has been created by Caroline Buttet and Emmanuel Durgoni who are both Artists in Residence at Google Arts and Culture Lab. Does that also make the experiment 'art'?</p><p></p><p>Anyway, I'm interested in what you think of it and how you score. You can find it here: <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/odd-one-out/wAHNn4JsVTFOiw?hl=en">https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/odd-one-out/wAHNn4JsVTFOiw?hl=en</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-81272190159059246752023-10-17T15:54:00.006+01:002023-10-17T15:57:27.054+01:00National Theatre to trial 6.30pm start times<p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">I think this is a great idea. The <a href="https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">National Theatre</a> is trialling an earlier start time for selected performances - initially on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm all for it as it means you either get home earlier or can catch the train home if you live further afield, or there's time to go for dinner afterwards. It also allows the cast, stage management and front-of-house teams to get home a bit earlier. Seems like a win-win to me. </span></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" >I love everything the National Theatre does - I don't think there's a play I've seen there that I didn't like, and some have been downright fantastic and have well-deserved their transfers to the West End and national tours. Admittedly, I'm biased. I was at youth theatre with Rufus Norris back in the 1980s and I feel immense joy knowing what he has achieved in his time at the National Theatre - he completes his tenure in 2025. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing a new play, Nye, early next year starring Michael Sheen which is about Nye Bevin and the birth of what is now the NHS.</span></p><p><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span>A top tip for getting cheaper tickets to plays at the National - every Friday at 1pm, they release a limited number of tickets for shows the following week for just £10. It's called Friday Rush. <a href="https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/fridayrush/" rel="nofollow">More info here</a> and set yourself a reminder in your calendar.</span></span></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" >More about the trial of early show times <a href="https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/national-theatre-to-trial-6-30pm-start-times_1537386/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=17october2023&fbclid=IwAR1QUqsCk_gVzrhSEVl4Po91pd4EtCE0ORoE1lIbEmT1BT1zn5T9F9fjT8Q" rel="nofollow">over at WhatsOnStage</a>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/national-theatre-to-trial-6-30pm-start-times_1537386/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=17october2023&fbclid=IwAR1QUqsCk_gVzrhSEVl4Po91pd4EtCE0ORoE1lIbEmT1BT1zn5T9F9fjT8Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="267" src="https://www.whatsonstage.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/materd.jpg.webp?resize=768,512" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-45599298790514435382023-07-24T18:21:00.004+01:002023-07-24T18:21:42.643+01:00Green Man could stay on for longer at pedestrian crossings in England<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/99B6/production/_130505393_t20p38.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="181" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/99B6/production/_130505393_t20p38.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>I'm pleased to see that the length of time given for someone to cross a road at pedestrian crossings in the UK is to be increased. I walk pretty fast most of the time but even I have difficulty completing crossing the road in time in certain places. When my Mum was alive and aging, she had no chance of crossing the road in the time allotted and we had to hope that drivers would be kind and let us pass. That did mean she restricted where she went on her own and the routes she took in order to reduce the number of main roads she needed to cross.<p></p><p>However, there seems to me to be a flaw in the equation. Research shows that the more densely populated a place is, the quicker they tend to walk. Therefore the average walking speed in Worcester will be different from the walking speed in London. Not only that, but some places will have a higher proportion of people in their vicinity who are less mobile due to age or illness. I hope, therefore, that there will be local nuance in the decisions made.</p><p>It may seem like very trivial news to some, but it has the potential to make our streets more accessible to those who walk the most.</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66292145">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66292145</a></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-70644774528781332122023-07-21T12:24:00.002+01:002023-07-21T12:24:39.419+01:00AI and the Frontier Paradox<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ai-paradox-perspective/" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1293" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mZQfjp6ozMlIpuVvXHCeNaUt8clWsjuANb9wtEDvRxAwBTqu79UWPVOzZTE7P6CHKQQn8LdKQ7YV_1ialaxT-8ZVKVLaKxQRDTRxMXJmODySCe2DMUWs-OaBX4fj_Kpa7uP6pVzGe0wtcuciBppkpAxzdMk6vMx_dVU02Wnyb68l-Zp1NrENng/s320/ai%20and%20the%20frontier%20paradox.png" width="320" /></a></div>This <a href="https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ai-paradox-perspective/" rel="nofollow">thought leadership piece</a> by Konstantine Buhler at Sequoia is well worth a read. I remember a conversation over a decade ago about AI with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw2cco/" rel="nofollow">futurist, David Wood</a> and he told me at the time that the dot on Google Maps showing us where we were was a type of AI. We don't call it that any longer - it just works on our phone and the technology is invisible - as many of the best technology tools are. I can certainly see how it will become quite commonplace to use tools like Bard or ChatGPT and not think anything of it. It will just be part of our routine use of phones, laptops and smart speakers.<p></p><p>I'm now beginning to see the rise of many of these tools as, perhaps, more like the switch from DOS to Windows - a much more intuitive interface with which to do what you need to do to get your tasks done. Or the switch from using laptops to phones which gave access to the internet and digital capabilities to many millions more people across the world. </p><p>And yet, what is coming feels like it's so much more than that and more far-reaching in terms of giving anyone the ability to engage with digital tools using talking or text chat. That feels revolutionary to me rather than evolutionary. Or is it way over-hyped and it will all calm down again in a few months? After all, this AI thing has been in the human imagination for more than a century with the first place about 'robots' being written in 1921. And it has been in development for more than 70 years. We are now living in the future that scientists were imagining back in the 1950s and 1960s.</p><p><a href="https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ai-paradox-perspective/">https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ai-paradox-perspective/</a></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-77776593722808195222023-06-07T13:50:00.004+01:002023-06-07T14:49:44.949+01:00A 1976 Herzog prompt and thoughts on AI and ChatGPT<p>Following a post from friend, <a href="http://www.tomhume.org/" rel="nofollow">Tom Hume</a>, I gave <a href="https://chat.openai.com/" rel="nofollow">ChatGPT</a> (the free version) a prompt from Werner Herzog. He wrote this in 1976 in relation to working on his film, Heart of Glass. Tom pointed out that perhaps Herzog had invented the 'prompt'. </p><p>As such, I thought it would be fun to try it out and see what came out. I've adapted the last line if the prompt to say 'write' rather than 'read aloud'. The full transcript is at the bottom of this blog post.</p><p>I don't know if the AI has had this prompt before, and if so, how many times, nor if it gives a different result each time. I haven't played with it enough yet to understand it's current capability. But as synthetic writing goes, it really isn't bad at all, albeit a bit flowery and clichéd. I'm sure there will be literary critics and avid readers who can pick further faults with it. But for most of us, it reads pretty well. </p><p><br /></p><p>What is interesting about this experiment is that although this is a natural language conversation, the AI doesn't understand it as such. It didn't get that I just wanted it to write me the poem that the monk had written. But instead wrote a piece of prose further elaborating what I had already written. I needed to ask an additional question to get the poem.</p><p>For the ordinary person to get the most of this technology, we're going to have to learn how to talk to a computer, how to give crystal clear instructions. The conversation style we might have with each other won't cut it. Most people's communication skills are lacking - communication is a two way street. You may be very eloquent but the person you're communicating with may not receive the message as intended. Not only that, we have so many additional layers of communication to add to the message beyond the words alone - tone of voice, body language, context, life experience, setting and more. Natural language is just one aspect of how we communicate.</p><p>I am fascinated by generative AI and what humans can achieve with it. It has taken decades for it to be where we are now and what feels like an overnight success. This is just the beginning though, and whether we like it or not, this thing isn't going away.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the transcript of my conversation.</p><p>Me (quoting Herzog)</p><p>"You're the first one for centuries who has set foot on a foreign island. It's overgrown with jungle and full of strange birds. You come across a gigantic cliff, and on closer inspection discover the rock is actually green emerald. Hundreds of years ago a monk took a chisel and hammer and engraved a poem into the wall. You open your eyes and are the first one to see it. Please write what you see." </p><p><br /></p><p>ChatGPT </p><p>"As I cautiously approached the gigantic cliff, my senses were immediately engulfed by the lush jungle that surrounded me. The air was heavy with humidity, the scent of damp earth and vibrant vegetation wafting through my nostrils. Strange birds of vivid hues flitted among the trees, their melodic calls echoing through the dense foliage. It was a surreal, untouched paradise.</p><p>With each step closer to the cliff, my eyes widened in awe. Towering before me was a majestic wall, its surface glimmering with an ethereal green radiance. The emerald sheen was mesmerizing, as if the very essence of nature had crystallized into this magnificent rock.</p><p>I reached out and traced the surface of the emerald with trembling fingers, marveling at the cool, smooth texture beneath my touch. The rock was firm and unyielding, a testament to the passage of time and the strength of nature.</p><p>As I studied the emerald more closely, my eyes discerned intricate engravings etched into its surface. The chisel and hammer had left their marks, crafting a poem that had stood the test of centuries. I stood back, allowing my gaze to absorb the delicate curves and flowing lines that composed the verse.</p><p>In ancient, weathered characters, the poem unfolded before me, a lyrical tale of wisdom and enlightenment. The words seemed to breathe with life, their meaning transcending the barriers of time. The poem spoke of nature's beauty, of the cycles of life and death, and the interconnectedness of all things.</p><p>As I read each line, a profound sense of gratitude and reverence washed over me. I was the first in centuries, perhaps even millenniums, to witness this testament to human artistry and the island's enigmatic allure. The enormity of the moment settled upon my shoulders, filling me with a deep sense of responsibility to preserve and honor this sacred place.</p><p>I took a step back, allowing the emerald cliff to reclaim its mystery, its green brilliance blending seamlessly with the surrounding foliage. The island had chosen to share its secret with me, inviting me into its realm of natural wonder and hidden treasures. With a heart filled with wonder and respect, I turned to leave, carrying the memory of the engraved poem forever etched in my mind."</p><p>Me (realising the AI hadn't quite understood my request)</p><p>"What was the poem exactly?"</p><p><br /></p><p>ChatGPT</p><p>"As an AI language model, I can certainly create a poem for you based on the scenario you've described. Here's an example of a poem that captures the essence of the scene:</p><p>In emerald cliff's embrace, I find,</p><p>A poet's legacy, long confined.</p><p>A verdant canvas, nature's muse,</p><p>Whispers of wisdom, ancient and fused.</p><p><br /></p><p>Amidst the jungle's vibrant bloom,</p><p>Where birds of hues paint the gloom,</p><p>The chisel's dance, a monk's endeavor,</p><p>Engraved in stone, this tale to treasure.</p><p><br /></p><p>"Behold, the cycles of life's sweet breath,</p><p>Where birth and death dance till the end.</p><p>From earth's embrace, springs life anew,</p><p>As nature weaves its eternal debut.</p><p><br /></p><p>Through verdant vines and towering trees,</p><p>A symphony of unity on nature's keys.</p><p>Each leaf, each creature, in harmony dwell,</p><p>Bound by a thread, weaved oh so well.</p><p><br /></p><p>Embrace the mysteries, the depths untold,</p><p>The secrets this island, ages old.</p><p>For in this emerald sanctuary we find,</p><p>A timeless truth, to all humankind.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, wanderer, cherish this sacred land,</p><p>Protect its wonders with gentle hand.</p><p>Let the echoes of this poem resound,</p><p>And may reverence for nature forever be found."</p><p><br /></p><p>With the poem etched into the emerald cliff, it stands as a testament to the island's beauty, the wisdom of the ancient monk, and the interconnectedness of all living things."</p><p>Addendum.</p><p>I asked ChatGPT to critique its poem. This is where it really feels like it understands. It doesn't though. It's a computer that knows how to process 0s and 1s, albeit in a very sophisticated way.</p><p>Note that it doesn't answer the question 'what is bad about it?' Rather it talks about what could be improved. I'm guessing that's deliberate in the algorithm so it doesn't come across as too negative.</p><p>Transcript</p><p>Me:</p><p>'Can you critique this poem? What is good about it? What is bad about it?'</p><p><br /></p><p>ChatGPT</p><p>Certainly! Here's a critique of the poem:</p><p>What is good about it:</p><p>Imagery: The poem uses vivid descriptions and sensory details to paint a picture of the lush jungle, the emerald cliff, and the vibrant birds. This helps create a vivid and immersive scene for the reader.</p><p>Flow and Rhythm: The poem maintains a consistent flow and rhythm, creating a melodic quality that is pleasing to read and listen to. It flows smoothly from one line to the next, maintaining a cohesive structure.</p><p>Theme and Meaning: The poem explores themes of nature's beauty, the cycles of life and death, and the interconnectedness of all things. It reflects a sense of wonder, reverence, and respect for the natural world, which is conveyed effectively.</p><p>What can be improved:</p><p>Originality: While the poem captures the essence of the scenario, it relies on familiar tropes and imagery associated with nature and its wonders. Adding unique or unexpected elements could enhance its originality and make it stand out.</p><p>Poetic Devices: While the poem is structurally sound, it could benefit from incorporating more varied poetic devices such as metaphors, similes, or symbolism to deepen its impact and evoke stronger emotions.</p><p>Specificity: The poem could include more specific details to enhance the reader's connection to the scene. Adding specific descriptions of the birds, the foliage, or the engravings on the emerald cliff could make the imagery more vivid and engaging.</p><p>Overall, the poem creates a pleasant and evocative atmosphere, but adding more originality, poetic devices, and specific details could enhance its depth and make it even more captivating.</p><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-31243874769612222522023-02-23T15:20:00.002+00:002023-02-23T15:20:14.331+00:00Swedish Beers Barcelona #15 - The Reunion Edition<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeN4fZEGmTz-dUINbZlbhoXAJFHdn215-GrcDpFHyLvDxwO2D1XmJt02gQFmzDg2IvIU5QokMk_u0pjr8zoj_W-qA90yE3NddtHM3MihaQGxGieyoLzLwsHMPDnjcQOYQU1gyGByzAJDbwyF7FMRUGNOTZcnJWeZetkxMj6WQfRAbUMs4eeI/s1599/40633832471_e599cf2616_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeN4fZEGmTz-dUINbZlbhoXAJFHdn215-GrcDpFHyLvDxwO2D1XmJt02gQFmzDg2IvIU5QokMk_u0pjr8zoj_W-qA90yE3NddtHM3MihaQGxGieyoLzLwsHMPDnjcQOYQU1gyGByzAJDbwyF7FMRUGNOTZcnJWeZetkxMj6WQfRAbUMs4eeI/s320/40633832471_e599cf2616_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yes, that's right, we're back! Fighting fit and raring to go.</p><p>Despite having had to take an enforced break due to the pandemic and family responsibilities, and despite thinking I was done with the whole mobile networking event thing, and despite not deciding to go to Barcelona until a week ago, here I am, hosting another Swedish Beers party!</p><p>I'm both thrilled to bits and a little bit scared at the same time as I'm a bit out of practice. But with the outpouring of Swedish Beers love from so many people and amazingly supportive sponsors and friends, I'm delighted to tell you that we're back one more time. It's shaping up to be a good night. </p><p>I'll tell you more about our sponsors and venue over on the <a href="http://swedishbeers.org" rel="nofollow">Swedish Beers blog</a>, but in the meantime, here's the registration form for Swedish Beers so you can get it in your diaries and share with your friends and colleagues.</p><p>As usual, we'll be expecting a down-to-earth crowd of mobile execs from all areas of the industry keen to chew the fat about all things mobile over a drink or three. I'm especially looking forward to hearing from our sponsors, <a href="http://worldmobile.io">World Mobile</a>, about how they're connecting the last mile of connectivity using blockchain and from 51 Degrees about what nifty things they can do these days with device detection.</p><p>You do need to register to come and we reserve the right to ask for ID on the door. And if it's busy, there may be a short wait to get in. Please be patient with us if that happens. We will do our best to get everyone in.</p><p>We'll be open from 19:00h until late. Last entry is at 01:00. Food will be available to buy on the night.</p><p>Skal and see you there!</p>
<div id="eventbrite-widget-container-557774698137"></div>
<script src="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/static/widgets/eb_widgets.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var exampleCallback = function() {
console.log('Order complete!');
};
window.EBWidgets.createWidget({
// Required
widgetType: 'checkout',
eventId: '557774698137',
iframeContainerId: 'eventbrite-widget-container-557774698137',
// Optional
iframeContainerHeight: 425, // Widget height in pixels. Defaults to a minimum of 425px if not provided
onOrderComplete: exampleCallback // Method called when an order has successfully completed
});
</script>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-57727755585239478972022-05-09T13:41:00.001+01:002022-05-09T13:41:12.436+01:00The DCMS report is out now on influencers - well worth a look<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">Thanks to Stephen Waddington for </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/671022767060782/posts/1172378966925157/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">sharing the report</a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> in his House of Marketing and PR Facebook Group. Being an 'influencer' is a relatively new career pathway and, despite what us oldies may think about it, is a growing sector. Marketing via influencers can be an effective way to reach your audience but behind the scenes, it's definitely not all glamour. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">Stephen highlights some key points from this morning's report:</span></p><ul class="bi6gxh9e aov4n071 fjf4s8hc mf5omzu7" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 8px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 32px;"><li><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Influencer culture is a rapidly expanding and professionalising subsection of the UK’s vibrant creative industries, although the Government hasn't given it any attention.</span></div></li><li><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Behind the glamour that often colours perceptions of influencers, this is a challenging career beset by diversity issues, pay disparities, and a pervasive lack of employment support and protection.</span></div></li><li><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">As the leaders of often small, niche and trusting communities, influencers can offer targeted and effective marketing services. Influencer marketing is therefore offering a lucrative opportunity for brands and advertisers as well as influencers.</span></div></li><li><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Updates to the enforcement powers of the Competition and Markets Authority and Advertising Standards Authority are urgently needed to prevent further damage to consumer trust.</span></div></li><li><div class="bi6gxh9e" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">The lack of protection for children taking part in this new industry, both as consumers of influencer content and as influencers themselves, is a critical concern.</span></div></li></ul><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">You can see the <a href="https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.com/influencer-culture-DCMS-report/index.html" rel="nofollow">interactive version of the report here</a> or download the <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/22107/documents/164150/default/">PDF version here</a>. It has also been widely reported on in the UK media, including the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-61347936">BBC here</a>.</span></span></div>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-67579675550570195522022-03-31T11:19:00.003+01:002022-03-31T11:24:08.658+01:00Accepting failure in your start-up. It's part of being human.<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIta_8paJLfV1zh8GZkiAqhSW7RnEbIiWLQX2RKvvySkGNwnI8KuSm72yOmBoaHIetNcKgC18XEmwTjVh0InJN8M799Gk99KESJ5JgrcMzGtNKafN4r7jhhN69MBibVkCXDsfduiytEbF1t5EQ6T7qf5udIKlHI-NEzq9zpQRsKOFt-WpLF4/s508/to%20err%20is%20human.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="508" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIta_8paJLfV1zh8GZkiAqhSW7RnEbIiWLQX2RKvvySkGNwnI8KuSm72yOmBoaHIetNcKgC18XEmwTjVh0InJN8M799Gk99KESJ5JgrcMzGtNKafN4r7jhhN69MBibVkCXDsfduiytEbF1t5EQ6T7qf5udIKlHI-NEzq9zpQRsKOFt-WpLF4/s320/to%20err%20is%20human.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The focus in the business world is always on success, especially when it comes to tech start-ups. The whole culture of the industry centres around celebrating success, pushing for success, being successful, showing off how successful you are. But we're human and humans fail all the time. It is impossible to be successful all of the time. To err is human.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm currently in the midst of a personal fail and trying to sort it out. It feels like a hot mess and it's unpleasant and demoralising to have to deal with and it's definitely not playing to my strengths. It's not work related, thankfully. But it is still, in my mind, at least, an epic fail. And when you're in the midst of something like this, it's hard to see the wood from the trees and it's hard to see a way forward, or what life might feel like when you've come out of it the other side. And the self-doubt and the self-judging is evident and hard to battle sometimes.<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following <a href="https://technokitten.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-take-your-company-from-good-to.html">my write up yesterday of the interview with Anna Gudmundson</a> on how to take your company from good to great, another article appeared on my radar which seemed to complement it: <a href="https://www.startups.com/library/expert-advice/i-failed-what-will-people-think">I failed, what will people think of me?</a> And since I'm in the midst of this hot mess I need to sort out in my own life, it really resonated. Yes, the article is focused on failing at business, but I found the insights helpful in dealing with my own situation. So I figured it might help someone else too.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The author, Wil Schroter, says: </span></div><p><span color="rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9)" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em;"><i>"In the moment when our startup ship is sinking to the bottom of the ocean, everyone has jumped on the life rafts, and we're wondering what the world will think of us, what goes through our minds?</i></span></p><p><span color="rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9)" style=font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em;"><i>Whether we fail or not, we've all run through the same scenarios. The only difference is when we fail for real, we get to see what actually happens. We get to see what kind of support we really have and what people will really think about us.</i></span></p><p><span color="rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9)" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em;"><i>But what's both sad and comforting is how few people will care at all."</i></span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wil goes on to flesh this out..</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>No one really cares. </b>People are self-absorbed and wrapped up in their own life and work dramas to have any spare capacity for caring about what you're up to.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>No one will remember</b> (unless you're Theranos or WeWork ane even that won't last. Boo.com anyone?). Our lives are busy. There's too much other stuff going on to remember about your start-up going under.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The emotion is raw for you. But it won't be for anyone else. </b>This, I can relate to. Friends will empathise, but they won't feel it in the same way as you. And that's good because it means they can support you without being overwhelmed by the situation.</span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What really matters is what you do next.</b> And this can be an enormous mountain to climb. You'll need to lick your wounds and will have some healing to do. You'll need to reflect on what happened and learn from it. You may need to do some self-development work. But most importantly, you need to carry on. </span></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(42, 49, 61, 0.9); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Wil says, '<i>This is a single chapter in our story, and it's a crazy chapter, but we've got many more to write.</i>' It's really important to remember that there will be many, many more chapters in your life. They won't all be the same and if you have the drive to be part of a start-up anyway, those subsequent chapters are bound to be interesting. Life really does throw some curveballs at you (ill-health, the economy, personal circumstances) but you can overcome them.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can't change the past but you can work towards a better future. And if you are having a hard time right now, as so many are, hang in there. It will get better. Try to find someone to talk to about it and give yourself time to get over it without wallowing too much. Time does heal. And with the experience comes wisdom and awareness.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Having been in an early stage start-up team and watched that team grow and the product develop successfully, only for it all to collapse in dramatic fashion after 18 months, I know what resilience it takes to deal with that and what upheaval it causes in every aspect of your life. But your entrepreneur's resilience will stand you in good stead for whatever comes next.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.0225em; line-height: 1.66; margin: 0px; padding: 0.67em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Let's see what the next chapter brings.</p></div>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-27131759797223106252022-03-30T16:49:00.003+01:002022-03-30T16:49:32.674+01:00How to Take Your Company from Good to Great - thoughts on an interview with Anna Gudmundson, CEO Sensate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9JYDqpKLWVU-oMmp8dfiJNKVOh0pMJYAmhBhsThpS_O2lHT1AB-rxv7YVFo9VPRutMC0VzbKUmch-cZUqXJxY1lgQ7eMyV6JYO58s_Fgkxbi3g_koNXYo0HQQoTUlFroX_Q9xEob6WNj8ypmBA_TiYCWSwlAVLHfm6x3_yicNO6HE_EqAQ/s2048/anna%20gudmundson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image of a woman with long hair and glasses smiling at the camera. She is holding a soft drink in her hand. She looks at ease and comfortable in her own skin. Her names is Anna Gudmundson and she is CEO of Sensate." border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9JYDqpKLWVU-oMmp8dfiJNKVOh0pMJYAmhBhsThpS_O2lHT1AB-rxv7YVFo9VPRutMC0VzbKUmch-cZUqXJxY1lgQ7eMyV6JYO58s_Fgkxbi3g_koNXYo0HQQoTUlFroX_Q9xEob6WNj8ypmBA_TiYCWSwlAVLHfm6x3_yicNO6HE_EqAQ/w213-h320/anna%20gudmundson.jpg" title="Anna Gudmundson CEO Sensate" width="213" /></a></div><p>I've known Anna Gudmunson (pictured) for a long time - more than 15 years now, I think. We first met in the early days of mobile when the industry was a lot smaller than today and more close knit and we quickly became friends. We've remained friends ever since even though we no longer live in the same city, or even country! And I'm really thrilled to see what a success she's having with <a href="https://www.getsensate.com/" rel="nofollow">Sensate</a>. [You can <a href="https://amzn.to/3NylRM1">buy it on Amazon here</a>]</p><p>I've met many hundreds of entrepreneurs and founders and innovators in the tech start-up scene, and although a lot of them are successful, they're not always able to articulate exactly why. I know Anna has done a lot of work on herself as well as the company and has spent considerable time reflecting on what success means personally and professionally and in <a href="https://medium.com/authority-magazine/anna-gudmundson-of-sensate-on-how-to-take-your-company-from-good-to-great-477501343027" rel="nofollow">this article</a>, she shares her key insights on taking both yourself and your company from good to great. I highly recommend reading it. There's a lot to digest.</p><p>There are a few points that Anna makes in the interview that particularly resonate with me and gave me particular food for thought:</p><div style="text-align: left;">On potential burnout (very common amongst entrepreneurs) she says 'Invest in your growth, not only professional, but personal. We can have all the knowledge we need to succeed, but if we're not implementing it, there's little use. Any growth in self-awareness immediately makes you a better leader. Even if you have a university degree in some subject, how much have you invested in the subject of you - the one tool that matters in your life?' That's both profound and vulnerable at the same time. When I worked in a start-up 20 years ago, the senior team's self awareness was not as good as it could have been. Although we did the Tony Robbins thing at the time, in retrospect, that was fairly superficial. Yes, it gave us some energy to keep going under difficult times but I don't know that it helped us know ourselves or each other any better. Ah, the wisdom of hindsight! Still, the good news is that mental health is now a hot topic and more openly discussed so maybe there are new, emerging entrepreneurs who are doing the work on themselves as well as doing the work on their start-up. We live in hope!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anna reminds us that being a start-up founder is a performance sport and you need to treat it as such. As an aside, that also means it's not for everyone and it also means you will need help - you can't do it all yourself. I would argue that it's a team performance sport as well as an individual sport. That means looking after yourself, keeping your mind and body in good condition. It's about persevering too.</div><p>Anna quotes Heraclitus who said in 500BC 'the only constant is change'. I think that's truer than ever with external events beyond our control affecting our day to day lives. Whether that's the war in Ukraine, Brexit affecting trade, energy prices skyrocketing or living through a pandemic. As a business leader, you need the flexibility to deal with that.</p><p>Anna also shares her insight about mental toughness - she says 'the most underestimated aspect [of running a business]: the mental strength needed in facing challenges. All responsibility lands on you; there's nowhere else to go.' I know Anna has been through some seriously tough times and she shares one story in the article about the challenge of selling a company under very difficult circumstances. This stuff is hard. There's a lot at stake and no-one wants to fail at something like this. </p><p>So if you're a start-up founder, or thinking about being one or working for one, then do give Anna's interview a read. I highly recommend it.</p><p>And for a bonus, why not watch Steven McRae, Principal Ballet Dancer's video about using Sensate and remember to love your Vagus nerve!. </p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zZgyV67GiXM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-25170628801005555332021-12-08T11:07:00.002+00:002021-12-08T11:07:19.749+00:00Happy Xmas. War is Over.<p> It's 41 years ago today since John Lennon was shot. I remember hearing the news on the radio as I was lying in bed and couldn't quite believe it. Double Fantasy had just come out and fans like me hoped that this album would be the first of many. It was not to be. Yet John Lennon's legacy lives on.</p><p>One of the sounds of Christmas every year is John and Yoko's 'Happy Xmas. (War is Over).' It was written as part of their peace activism and a wish for peace and that war be over forever. It's eminently sing-a-long-able (is that a word?) with a simple, overriding message of Christmas being for everyone and a hope that the coming year is lived without fear which is one of the reasons it does the rounds every Christmas season.</p><p>Ahh, that living without fear thing. That seemed like an easy thing to do pre-Covid. But with omicron arriving on our shores and doubling every 2 or 3 days, a government that is happy to gaslight the population, the NHS on its knees and living through climate change, it's not quite so easy to live without fear these days. Oh well, the song is still great. I love that combination of melancholy and hope in both the lyrics and the music. I will always wonder what music we've missed due to Lennon's untimely death.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="293" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flA5ndOyZbI" width="353" youtube-src-id="flA5ndOyZbI"></iframe></div><br /><p>Further links</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Xmas_(War_Is_Over)" rel="nofollow">Happy Xmas (War is Over) Wikipedia</a> entry </p><p><a href="https://genius.com/John-lennon-and-yoko-ono-happy-xmas-war-is-over-lyrics" rel="nofollow">Happy Xmas (War is Over) lyrics</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11926898" rel="nofollow">Lennon's death, I was there</a>. a BBC reporter's account of what happened.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_John_Lennon" rel="nofollow">The Murder of John Lennon Wikipedia</a> entry</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-74577483249091944452021-12-07T20:38:00.000+00:002021-12-07T20:38:06.971+00:00Art is good for you. Christmas Wrapped Up.<p>I was feeling pretty stressed today and it was getting me down. I always feel a creeping sense of anxiety as the New Year gets nearer and today wasn't a great day for various reasons. But I did have something to look forward to - a Zoom creative writing class. </p><p>I haven't done any creative writing since I was at school so I was a bit nervous. I'd signed up for it on a whim but I'm glad I did. We started with a bit of freewriting and some sharing of our initial thoughts on the topic of Christmas. Hearing others read out some of their ideas really helped me shape mine. After that, we had some time to hone our poem. This is mine;</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Decorations, tinsel, handmade cards</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Christmas lights in the busy stores</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Christmas Carols and Midnight Mass</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I’m lonely in the crowd.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Everyone else with their families</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Feeling the pressure to belong</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Is that really the Christmas Spirit?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">It’s simpler on my own</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The glitz is overwhelming</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Too much cash spent on nothing</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Money can’t buy anyone’s love</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">No matter how much you have.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">A Christmas wreath and Christmas lights</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Wizard of Oz, Morecambe and Wise, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Nut roast and a mince pie</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s my Christmas wrapped up.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It's better than I was expecting to come up with, even if it is a bit dour. Most of the group were a bit down about Christmas as it happens which I thought was interesting in itself. Anyway, Christmas will be done and dusted by the time of next month's session which is already in my diary. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">After a couple of hours doing something completely different, my mood lifted. Art is clearly good for you and I recommend you try this stuff. You never know what you might discover about yourself and others.</p><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a bonus, here are The Waitresses with their hit, Christmas Wrapping.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nud2TQNahaU" width="320" youtube-src-id="nud2TQNahaU"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-91086954649099331702021-12-07T13:54:00.005+00:002021-12-07T13:54:49.997+00:00Stress and decision paralysis<p>I think it's fair to say, that most of us have experienced more than our fair share of stress over the last two years. What some of you may not know is the impact that stress can have on your life. It can trigger very physical responses (palpitations, headaches, gut troubles and much more) and mental ones (it can trigger clinical depression and make existing mental health conditions like ADHD, OCD, much worse).</p><p>The marketoonist has written about the impact of stress on decision making in a recent post from earlier this week:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4e4e; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">decision paralysis is particularly acute in the face of an uncertain future. And decision making has been hampered even at the personal level as the pandemic reveals new surprises.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4e4e; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">The American Psychological Association <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/october-decision-making" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2f8bf3; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s linear 0s;">found</a> that 32% of adults (and 48% of Millennials) are “sometimes so stressed about the coronavirus pandemic that they struggle to make basic decisions, such as what to wear or what to eat.”</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://marketoonist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/211206.n.decisions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://marketoonist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/211206.n.decisions.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4e4e; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4e4e; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">The <a href="https://marketoonist.com/2021/12/decision-paralysis-2.html" rel="nofollow">full post is worth a read here</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4e4e; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><br /></p><p> </p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-87496768576235868912021-12-06T13:29:00.004+00:002021-12-06T13:32:34.700+00:00The Poetry Advent Calendar <p>Historically, I would have described myself as an ambivert - happy at times to be extroverted and just as happy at other times to be entirely introverted spending time in my own company. As I've got older, my introversion is overtaking my extroversion - not helped of course, by time spent in lockdown. It's now the norm for me to stay in and not go out at all, so I often have to be encouraged, or encourage myself, to go outside. And as for social stuff, that's been really very limited for the last two years, and was limited before that due to (willingly) spending most of my time caring for my Mum.</p><p>Staying in isn't all bad and it doesn't have to be about being alone. One of the lovely things that happened during lockdown was that my friend, Adrian*, hosted a regular quiz on Zoom. When I started doing the quizzes, I didn't know anyone except Adrian and his family, but soon, as I got put into different teams, I got to meet the other regulars which was a social lifeline to me. And that included the poet, <a href="https://twitter.com/ogbcollins?lang=en">Owen Collins</a>. Sometimes, as part of the quiz interval, Owen would read one of his poems. We haven't done the quiz for some months as restrictions lifted, but we had one last week which was great. And it was during last week's quiz, that I found out Owen does a poetry advent calendar - one poem a day until Christmas Eve. What a great idea! It's rather good and <a href="https://poetryadventcalendar.wordpress.com/">you can find it here</a>. Yesterday's poem alluded to this year's Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square, hence the picture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://poetryadventcalendar.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/norway-tree.jpg?w=768&h=344&crop=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="768" height="286" src="https://poetryadventcalendar.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/norway-tree.jpg?w=768&h=344&crop=1" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I know Zoom fatigue is very real, but Adrian's Zoom quizzes were/are brilliant. They kept me sane during particularly testing times. I look forward to meeting some of the other quizzers in real life at some point too.<br /><p>* Adrian runs<a href="https://www.minimumego.com/home/" rel="nofollow"> Minimum Ego</a> and also writes and hosts quizzes online and in person for companies and charities. He's one of my Swan Youth Theatre chums from back in the day.</p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-62828334176548107332021-12-06T12:47:00.000+00:002021-12-06T12:47:14.992+00:00Benedict Evans' latest presentation is out - Three Steps to The Future<p> I can't remember when I first met Ben - I'm guessing it was at least a decade ago, maybe even 15 years ago, at either a Mobile Monday event or one of my Swedish Beers parties. He always had great insight into the mobile industry and knew what was going on and could see the many of the trends coming way before the rest of us. </p><p>That hasn't changed and he's published his latest presentation on future tech trends- Three Steps to The Future. He's clearly put a lot of work into this (as usual) and it's chock full of info and insights. It's well worth a read and a ponder. It's certainly something I'll be coming back to. There's too much to take in properly in one go.</p><p>Anyway, you'll find it on<a href="https://www.ben-evans.com/presentations" rel="nofollow"> his presentations page</a> along with some of his previous years presentations. And I also recommend that you sign up to his newsletter - it's always full of interesting things, as is his <a href="https://twitter.com/benedictevans">Twitter feed</a> which is where I found out that Ben had published his presentation last night!</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">So - I published a new presentation, on technology in 2021 and 2022: 'Three Steps to the Future'. <a href="https://t.co/7v8Hcmulf8">https://t.co/7v8Hcmulf8</a></p>— Benedict Evans (@benedictevans) <a href="https://twitter.com/benedictevans/status/1467557400651747338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-76866088491098820592021-12-05T20:04:00.001+00:002021-12-05T20:04:15.335+00:00Not much to report, I'm afraid!<p> I've not had the urge to write much at all this last few years. That's down to circumstances I guess - being full-time carer to my Mum doesn't lend itself to finding time and topics to write about. But it's been just over a year now since Mum died and maybe it's time to start writing again. I don't really have anything much to say today but I figured that saying something rather than nothing was a start.</p><p>One thing I've been mulling over is how to reintegrate into 'normal' life after an intense period of time as a carer to a close family member. There are a lot of services for carers if you have time to find them and the time to participate - which, if you're a carer, is not that likely in a lot of cases. But once you stop caring, you're kinda left to your own devices and seem to be expected to pick up where you left off before you started your caring role. Except, that's not so easy when it's been a few years and we're still in the middle of a pandemic.</p><p>Fortunately, as a former carer, I'm still eligible to participate in sessions organised by Carers UK so I'm taking advantage of their current online classes in Pilates and Yoga (which are great). But I think former carers need more than that and I'm putting some thought into what that should look like. If I come up with anything concrete, I'll let you know! </p><p>Meanwhile, I'm (potentially) in the early stages of a project that, if it pans out, should be really interesting and fun to be involved in. It combines two of my favourite sectors - The Arts and Technology. I love it when two very culturally different sectors collide - magic can happen at the intersection. Creating the opportunity for different sectors to collide is one of the reasons I started hosting networking events. I've been collecting interesting people my whole life and I really like them to meet each other. I'm keen to revive my events, but it's still not the right time for me personally for in-person stuff - at least, not at scale. But maybe there's an opportunity to do something smaller, or online... we shall have to see.</p><p>Anyway, that's my first blogpost done in over 6 months. Let's see how many more I can write before the end of the year...</p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-36591124315689640552021-05-15T16:58:00.001+01:002021-05-15T16:58:34.023+01:00It's Mental Health Awareness Week...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKhw0bVJXYw/YJ_kWWYr3LI/AAAAAAAAgfA/Ao5JAwMkL28wJ1fyu27PlvAe70eZkhM8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1172/matt%2Bhaig%2Brock%2Bbottom%2Bquote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1172" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKhw0bVJXYw/YJ_kWWYr3LI/AAAAAAAAgfA/Ao5JAwMkL28wJ1fyu27PlvAe70eZkhM8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h308/matt%2Bhaig%2Brock%2Bbottom%2Bquote.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quote from Matt Haig's book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2SSpUeh" rel="nofollow">Reasons to Stay Alive</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Mental Health Awareness Week. What does that even mean? 'Mental health' is such a broad term and covers so many things that I'm not sure how helpful it is. Mental health is so more than depression but the focus of the week seems to centre on depression, so that's what I'll cover here. (I suppose calling something 'Depression Week' isn't very appealing!) If this post helps even one person, then it's worth it.</p><p>In my experience, depression is often a symptom or outward expression of something else that is the root cause or trigger for a depressive episode rather than a disease in and of itself.</p><p>The root cause of depression can be nothing at all, just the way your brain happens to be working right now. It could also be triggered by the situation or circumstances you're in; a hormone imbalance (PMT and its more serious sister, PMDD, perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause or postnatal depression where our hormones are just out of kilter), an underlying condition such as ASD or ADHD (which may or may not be diagnosed), financial worries, experience of trauma, bereavement, miscarriage, ill health, burnout, poor diet, vitamin deficiencies, pollution, allergies, relationship breakdown, substance or alcohol abuse, being bullied, work worries, stress, overwhelm, a chemical imbalance or even phobia. And I'm quite sure there are more. </p><p>This means depression is often a complex picture and can be difficult to untangle. Our GPs, although well-meaning, are not always equipped with the right tools, knowledge or experience to fully support a depressed patient. GPs mostly offer basic CBT (cognitive-based therapy) or anti-depressants. The addition of social prescribing to the mix is a step forward, but it's only a small step forward. </p><p>Where there is an underlying cause, you need to get to the bottom of it and treat the cause otherwise, the patient may relapse. CBT and anti-depressants may not be effective. Some depression lifts without intervention, it just needs time. Other bouts of depression need a different approach. </p><p>This is why I'm not that keen on the perceived wisdom that you should 'reach out' and 'seek professional help'. It's not that straightforward. If you really are in the depths of despair, 'reaching out' is just about the last thing you're capable of doing. If you can do it, that's a fantastic achievement in itself. The onus is on others to reach out to you or to make it really, really easy for you to make that call or send that message to let someone know you're struggling. </p><p>As for getting professional help... Hmmm. Waiting lists are long. Availability of treatment beyond anti-depressants and CBT is patchy. Counselling, CBT or coaching is not going to work if you have underlying undiagnosed ADHD and/or ASD. Hormone tests for women to check for imbalances during perimenopause are only possible if you're going for IVF treatment (well that's what I was told). And if you've been through the system before, then you know that the GP will likely offer you CBT or anti-depressants. And if that doesn't work for you, then what do you do and where do you go? Sure, you can go privately, but how do you know where best to spend your money? How do you know what kind of therapy or counselling you need? And you're trying to make these decisions in the midst of despair? Oof. It's hard and needs a lot of improvement. </p><p>Even so, the GP is still the right starting point, particularly if you have a sympathetic GP. But you're probably going to have to do your own research to complement what your GP can offer. Everyone is different and you know your situation better than your GP. </p><p>If you're reading this and you are feeling low, then keep it simple. Focus on the basics first: water, light, nutrition and fresh air. After that, maybe some gentle exercise. A walk to the end of the block and back is a good enough start. When you're up to it, I recommend reading <a href="https://amzn.to/2SSpUeh">Matt Haig's Reasons to Stay Alive</a>. He's been through all of this and written a book based on his experience that is an easy, thoughtful and uplifting read.</p><p>Do talk to your friends about how you feel too. They won't all be able to help, nor will they all understand but someone will and they do care. Keep trying. And put a reminder in your diary to call your GP the next morning at 8am, or whatever ungodly time you have to make that call to get an appointment. Start the journey. Get advice. And take it gently, step by step, hour by hour and day by day. The chances are your road into depression has been a long one so the journey to recovery may take some time. </p><p>There's no doubt that a better understanding of depression and ways of tackling it will be helpful to all of us. I hope that by raising awareness of these things as well as sharing insights and experience will lead to better services and treatments. Time will tell. In the meantime, hang in there. Your future self will thank you for it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-13537122635029321242021-05-14T14:23:00.000+01:002021-05-14T14:23:33.995+01:00Captain Tom 100 Challenge completed!<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xDsvVdqaujE/YJ51NelXf4I/AAAAAAAAgds/XqR5vqnLvxIZWJiyKR-YBxOYLyIM7NbVACPcBGAsYHg/s4608/IMG_20210502_193457554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xDsvVdqaujE/YJ51NelXf4I/AAAAAAAAgds/XqR5vqnLvxIZWJiyKR-YBxOYLyIM7NbVACPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_20210502_193457554.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><p>Well, ladies and gentlemen of the internet, I am delighted to tell you that I completed my Captain Tom 100 challenge over the bank holiday weekend of sewing 100 items. It was a bigger challenge than I was expecting. Speed sewing is not my natural way of sewing, neither is sewing to order, but I had to do both in order to finish in the 4 days allotted. Also, I had to deal with daily life and a new medical challenge but I did it! </p><p></p><p>I made 101 things in the end by hand and on my trusty vintage sewing machine, Elsie:</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3nXMrYX2_c/YJ51NXiWGzI/AAAAAAAAgds/hl-b28IrRaAe4mjtKSPHlTGVUa-hHRGdgCPcBGAsYHg/s4608/IMG_20210503_164214746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3nXMrYX2_c/YJ51NXiWGzI/AAAAAAAAgds/hl-b28IrRaAe4mjtKSPHlTGVUa-hHRGdgCPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_20210503_164214746.jpg" width="150" /></a>14 shopping bags from an old, clean but slightly damaged double duvet cover of my Mum's</p><p>20 washable and reusable makeup pads from an old, but clean towel and 100% cotton poplin from my stash</p><p>7 embroideries on denim from my stash</p><p>10 hair bows made from 100% cotton poplin</p><p>26 mug rugs (fabric coasters) using three different fabrics from my stash</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdteJo6bUEw/YJ51Nc4yaQI/AAAAAAAAgds/CYTS9h0V2F4deFfzdpskUDdoo3-S_U6hACPcBGAsYHg/s4608/IMG_20210503_200613031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdteJo6bUEw/YJ51Nc4yaQI/AAAAAAAAgds/CYTS9h0V2F4deFfzdpskUDdoo3-S_U6hACPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_20210503_200613031.jpg" width="150" /></a>24 lavender bags made from a remnant of pure cotton alphabet fabric and home-grown lavender from the garden.</p><p>Keeping on sewing was quite hard at times. And I'm unable to do very detailed sewing work as the daylight wanes. Electric light isn't particularly comfortable to work in for sewing. Or at least, not the electric lights I have available to me at the moment. So I had to manage my time effectively. And I was more reliant than I was expecting on friends and neighbours engaging with me by donating and offering moral support. Each donation and comment really did spur me on that little bit more and really lifted my spirits when I was flagging.</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wMviUAoQq1o/YJ51NXuMQQI/AAAAAAAAgds/dPfgGkSXvRwW5KNXRg9DjwmtZkk9_01CgCPcBGAsYHg/s4608/IMG_20210503_101026194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="An image of a vintage, metal chassis, Jones electric sewing machine" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wMviUAoQq1o/YJ51NXuMQQI/AAAAAAAAgds/dPfgGkSXvRwW5KNXRg9DjwmtZkk9_01CgCPcBGAsYHg/w200-h150/IMG_20210503_101026194.jpg" width="200" /></a>Planning and cutting things out takes at least as long as sewing the item in question. It's hard to predict how long it takes for that so inevitably, it takes longer than you'd like. And my trusty sewing machine is certainly trusty, but it takes time to wind bobbins, get the tension right, thread and rethread it and coax the presser foot over thick layers of fabric and wadding. I certainly got to know her very well that weekend and she worked really hard and really consistently.</p><p>Raising money for charity is hard. There are constant demands for our hard-earned cash, and my campaign was yet another one. Getting my donations in relied heavily on my personal network chipping in and me taking the time to keep people up to date with my progress. As I shared my progress and results, more people engaged. I think all but one or two of the donations were from people I knew personally. To get bigger money, you need to get beyond that and I didn't manage that this time and you need to start earlier to build up the momentum and enthusiasm to get the donations in. </p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xx97z7xbdBo/YJ51NeSXEWI/AAAAAAAAgds/NfW2bYKaq8oIu7sKHIeZVKTKrbJPtfhMACPcBGAsYHg/s4608/IMG_20210502_174056110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xx97z7xbdBo/YJ51NeSXEWI/AAAAAAAAgds/NfW2bYKaq8oIu7sKHIeZVKTKrbJPtfhMACPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_20210502_174056110.jpg" width="150" /></a>It was also really good to get such positive support from the charity I was fundraising for - <a href="https://magicme.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Magic Me</a>. I got daily morning emails with words of support and PR support too. that was really helpful for me and a good way to start each day knowing that what I was doing was appreciated and that the money raised would be very useful. They also managed to get me in the <a href="https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19275890.worcester-woman-completes-captain-tom-100-challenge/" rel="nofollow">local news</a> which was a bonus.</p><p>I also learned things about myself during the challenge. It's a long time since I've done anything remotely like this. Committing to and completing the challenge gave me a big boost of self-confidence. My natural state in the past has been commitment-phobic and a starter-upper rather than a completer-finisher. (There's good reason for that which I may write about another time.) Regardless, this time, I was able to counter that tendency and that felt really good. </p><p>At the time of writing, my campaign has just got over the £500 mark. That's £200 more than my goal so it's fantastic! My friends and neighbours have been very generous. The campaign is still open, so if <a href="https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenKeegan2" rel="nofollow">you'd like to donate, you can do that here</a>. </p><p>So thank you Captain Tom for being you and inspiring me to take on this challenge! Rest in peace good Sir. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenKeegan2" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="2080" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eNZeYkVuelU/YJ543TYUAmI/AAAAAAAAgd4/wV5TAyxW5SEBzGrLwVsTCEAWx_in5tQogCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h173/captain%2Btom%2B100%2Bchallenge%2B2021.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-10512758080048262452021-04-29T16:27:00.004+01:002021-04-29T16:27:56.124+01:00Captain Tom 100 Challenge Accepted!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">I don't know about you, but I was very moved by Captain Tom's story last year. Whilst in lockdown, news of his exploits and the money raised for NHS charities was a beacon of hope in dark times. And I was very sad when I heard he had died. But oh, what a life he lived! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenKeegan2" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JTPOOL7Uyk/YIrM4dfnmNI/AAAAAAAAgHA/c8TNpOg8ZfUeuKW5ANhAQLFhk3wvxCiVACPcBGAsYHg/w150-h200/IMG_20210410_230630460_HDR.jpg" width="150" /> </a>In honour of him, ordinary people have been asked to do 100 of something to raise money for charity. My friend Deborah is doing 100 portraits this weekend. I am in awe of her ability and her commitment. And then I got to thinking what I could do. Since sewing is my thing, I'm going to make 100 things out of fabric over the next few days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Obviously, time is tight as these things need to be done over the next few days and sewing things takes longer than it looks, so these things are likely to be mostly small items, but I'm going to do my best to make a variety of things by hand and by machine using what materials and threads I have to hand and see what comes out of it. I imagine there will be a bit of embroidery, some eco makeup wipes, a few shopping bags and cushion covers - that kind of thing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you'd like to sponsor me, <a href="https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenKeegan2" rel="nofollow">you can do that here</a>. I'm raising money for MagicMe who do fantastic work connecting the young and the old through art in London's East End. I think it's a worthy cause and I hope you do too. If you sponsor me and would like one of the items I make, please message me so I can organise getting it to you. Otherwise, the 100 things I make (provided they're good enough to use or sell!) will be donated to a local charity shop.</div></div><div><p></p><p>Please do consider donating and thanks in advance!</p><p>I'll post some of my creations over the weekend on <a href="https://twitter.com/technokitten">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/technokitten_/">Instagram</a> so you can follow how I'm doing. And if you want to see what other people are up to, check out the campaign hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaptainTom100?src=hashtag_click">#CaptainTom100 </a></p></div>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-44891229233413416392021-03-10T19:13:00.001+00:002021-03-10T19:13:37.393+00:00So much this<p> Is this just a British thing? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/soverybritish/posts/4081460211901836" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="465" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWS8A9LMxgI/YED_pAqFn5I/AAAAAAAAfWU/0R4ZgfaxArAEhGR3iYK5x3bvhq__386dQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h294/very%2Bbritish%2Bproblems%2Bi%2Bwant%2Bto%2Bleave.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/soverybritish/posts/4081460211901836">Facebook</a>.</p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-73154399689154505082021-03-10T18:03:00.000+00:002021-03-10T18:03:58.007+00:00And so it begins.... again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGGOBqYFatc/YEkIBT0x03I/AAAAAAAAfa4/eLL4gVMNKNUbWx98E6dn0gf95HTBYHbVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/3337298557_3550bc093d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image shows fountains at La Fira Montjuic in Barcelona. The photo is taken the week of Mobile World Congress, the largest telecoms show in the world." border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGGOBqYFatc/YEkIBT0x03I/AAAAAAAAfa4/eLL4gVMNKNUbWx98E6dn0gf95HTBYHbVQCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h240/3337298557_3550bc093d_o.jpg" title="Fountains at La Fira Montjuic Barcelona" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm getting deja vu. The big-name participants for this year's Mobile World Congress are beginning to pull out of the planned in-person event scheduled for the end of June. Just like they did last February. They were planning for 50,000 attendees and are putting in place stringent safety measures and testing to keep attendees healthy and avoid a 'super-spreader' event. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sony, Nokia and Ericsson are the first businesses to pull out of the in-person event, but it's only a matter of time before all the big companies pull out due to 'an abundance of caution'. I know the GSMA is already working on making the show a hybrid event, and the big players will likely participate, but I have a feeling the virtual element will have to be the priority. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I just can't see a big in-person show going ahead at this point. The UK is ahead of the game with vaccinations, but even then, most of the age groups attending MWC will not have been fully vaccinated by the time of the show. And that means, with the exception of Israel, not enough potential attendees will have been vaccinated either. And even if you're vaccinated, it reduces the risk of severe disease, hospitalisation or death, but it's not a magic wand to stop it completely. Not only that, but there is growing evidence of a third wave on mainland Europe. There may be a small physical presence this year in Barcelona but it won't be the same thing at all - what with the tests and the temperature checks and the social distancing. That doesn't make for a good party. And let's face it, a lot of what makes MWC attractive is the social aspect of it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, this is a bitter blow to the show and the industry. And for me, it's yet another year when I can't hold a Swedish Beers party, or anything else in-person for that matter thereby inhibiting my earning potential significantly. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A year ago, when the first wave was building up, I don't think anyone imagined it would really go on for this long or that our lives and freedoms would be changed as much as they have. I would love to visit MWC again, but I won't be visiting at the end of July. It's just too soon. And for those thinking that life will be back to more or less normal but with masks and washing of hands come July, I am not feeling quite so confident. I think we have more rollercoaster rides ahead of us and a third wave to deal with. Buckle up. It could be a bit of a bumpy ride still.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">References: <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/mwc-will-take-place-in-person-in-barcelona-but-ericsson-sony-nokia-wont-be-there/">https://www.cnet.com/news/mwc-will-take-place-in-person-in-barcelona-but-ericsson-sony-nokia-wont-be-there/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-europe-hit-by-third-wave-as-vaccine-rollout-begins/">https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-europe-hit-by-third-wave-as-vaccine-rollout-begins/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/chris-whitty-patrick-vallance-third-wave-deaths-inevitable">https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/chris-whitty-patrick-vallance-third-wave-deaths-inevitable</a></div>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-72974520932640979932021-03-05T12:59:00.001+00:002021-03-05T12:59:53.552+00:00Lockdown<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gv3gnIAgqU/YED8UiH6OiI/AAAAAAAAfWM/SHPOJ30iuhoRUoX5KkzGl2Z-Eec3CVTJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/lockdown%2Bboats%2Band%2Bkindness.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gv3gnIAgqU/YED8UiH6OiI/AAAAAAAAfWM/SHPOJ30iuhoRUoX5KkzGl2Z-Eec3CVTJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/lockdown%2Bboats%2Band%2Bkindness.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Things I like about lockdown*</b></p><p>Peace and quiet</p><p>Little to no FOMO (aka Fear Of Missing Out)</p><p>Reduced cost of living</p><p>My pal's weekly Zoom quiz. An absolute Godsend and something to look forward to every week.</p><p>No pressure to dress up</p><p>No pressure to go out</p><p>Feel ok about being alone - it's now completely normal to be on one's own.</p><p>Not having to see people you don't like any more</p><p>A more level playing field for disabled people who can't get out of the house regularly because of their disabilities.</p><p>Regular Government sanctioned walks in nature.</p><p>Less pollution. I can breathe easier. I have had no asthma symptoms and barely any allergies for a year now.</p><p>The simplicity of life. Being able to pay attention to the small things.</p><p>Zoom yoga and meditation classes</p><p>The 'we're all in this together' feeling (even though we aren't really - see image above)</p><p>WhatsApp groups</p><p>The internet</p><p>Social media</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Things I don't like about lockdown</b></p><p>Having no place to go</p><p>Fear of other people infecting you</p><p>Having to keep your distance</p><p>The relentlessness of it all</p><p>Not knowing what's going on in the world as all the conversations are virtual. There's no bumping into someone at a networking event or conference.</p><p>The ableism of those who can and do take risks. So many people can't take those risks with their health and will be stuck inside when others are frolicking recklessly. That's hard to stomach.</p><p>Having no-one to hug or to touch</p><p>That flat feeling you get when a Zoom call finishes</p><p>Poor quality zoom calls - just get yourself <a href="https://amzn.to/3qi7Bdp">a little webcam like this one that I have</a> and a good light!</p><p>The divisiveness and politics of lockdown</p><p>People being careless or selfish about what risk they're creating for others</p><p>People losing their jobs and homes</p><p>Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock and Boris Johnson</p><p>So. Much. Death. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>*For some context, dear reader, I'm in lockdown 3 in the UK and riding it out on my own</i></p><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-18022963048432971392021-03-05T12:52:00.002+00:002021-03-05T12:52:28.639+00:00What is money?<p> </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I keep hearing people complain that the ‘mainstream media’ does not understand economics and that we’re talked down to as if everything must be explained as if the economy is a household. In this thread I explain all you (and they) need to know. Economics in one thread then....</p>— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardJMurphy/status/1337737606688333826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2020</a></blockquote><p> We've just had the budget so there's lots of talk about bolstering the economy, about supporting those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, about tax rises and what money is or isn't available when you shake the magic money tree. Lots of people talk about needing to pay back this deficit like you have to pay the bank back if you're overdrawn or have taken out a loan. Except governments don't quite run that way where money is concerned. If you're at all interested in how government economics work and how governments create and distribute money, then I highly recommend you read the above thread by Richard Murphy. You can read it on<a href="https://twitter.com/RichardJMurphy/status/1337737606688333826" rel="nofollow"> Twitter</a> or via <a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1337737606688333826.html">Thread Reader</a> where it reads more like an article. It is fascinating!</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-71043628439848217402021-03-04T15:02:00.005+00:002021-03-04T15:02:53.866+00:00Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_l3xAcA9XI/YED0aRsc0rI/AAAAAAAAfWA/f6dWEfJbmns4eB35Ud8YeXn4kb3QYA02QCLcBGAsYHQ/s667/May-your-choices-reflect-your-hopes-not-your-fears.-Nelson-Mandela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_l3xAcA9XI/YED0aRsc0rI/AAAAAAAAfWA/f6dWEfJbmns4eB35Ud8YeXn4kb3QYA02QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/May-your-choices-reflect-your-hopes-not-your-fears.-Nelson-Mandela.jpg" /></a></div><p>I'm at one of those pivotal moments in life where the status quo has gone and I have to create whatever comes next. I've never had, or at least never felt I had, these kinds of choices before. I was restricted when I was younger by money (or lack thereof), time (too much time spent on work in retrospect), negative self-talk (I'm only human) and when it came to going to drama school, complete and utter parental disapproval.</p><p>Now that I am an adult orphan and am due to inherit a modest sum of money, I have active choices to make about my life and how I live it. I don't have to stay put. I am not trapped. I can do whatever I like. Well, you know, except for the pesky pandemic, but you get my drift. </p><p>Obviously the world has changed dramatically since whilst I was caring for my mother. We're living through a pandemic and that has changed us all in some shape or form. The world of work I knew a few years ago has changed, possibly forever. The commute has gone. The in-person events have gone. The after-work drinks are no more. Travelling abroad to speak at a conference or visit an exhibition to network with colleagues and peers - all gone. And I have little sense yet of when or how that will come back. And if it should come back, do I still want to be part of that picture? Can I slot back in having been absent for the last couple of years? These are questions I'm asking myself daily and perhaps they're the wrong questions. After all, that world has gone - at least for another 6 months, possibly longer. </p><p>I need to adapt to that change too and be open to new things. And I've changed too. I'm older, wiser and have been through life experiences that would change anyone's outlook on life. But I'm seeing that as a positive and that I have even more experience and knowledge to share than I did before. So maybe the questions can be more around what am I open to? Who do I want to work with? What talents can I bring to the party? What companies or sectors would be a good fit? What are my transferable skills? What am I hoping to get out of the next step(s)? Where do I want to be?</p><p>But choice can be paralysing. Too many choices on a menu and you end up going for the same thing you always go for when you visit that same restaurant. What a privilege to have choices available but what a responsibility too.</p><p>I'm sure I'm overthinking it here, as is my wont. It's time for me to do something, to take action, to get involved. It's time for me to start engaging again with the outside world and to start contributing to it again. I can't sit at home waiting for something to happen because I'll be waiting a long time. I have to make it happen. So I'm tapping into my creative spirit. I'm writing more - both published posts and lots of journaling. I'm meditating to get some clarity and vision. I'm dreaming too to see which dreams fit best. I'm starting some of those more work-related conversations with work-friends and friend-friends. I'm researching the market to see what's happening and what people seem to be looking for. I'm reminding myself of what I've done in my career and what my strengths are and thinking about CVs and marketing materials and websites and all that stuff. And I'm opening myself to new opportunities and also looking at what courses I might do to refresh my skills or stimulate some different thinking. I want to have those deep, insightful conversations again. I miss that.</p><p>So if you have any bright ideas on what or where my next step might be, get in touch!</p><p>(As an aside, if it weren't for the slight issues of Brexit and a Pandemic, I would probably be doing all of this from Barcelona for a month or two whilst supping on Cava, eating tapas and hanging out on a roof terrace. But that's out of the question for a good few months yet.)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6622928.post-49019352014866796612021-03-03T20:23:00.001+00:002021-03-03T20:23:55.612+00:00Are you a carer, accidental or otherwise?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJmSsI-OnPg/YD_sH-DumdI/AAAAAAAAfUw/f-RoFPZ44PgD0lU6oTcgfs4Aaqo_l-3sQCLcBGAsYHQ/s342/carer.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="342" height="199" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJmSsI-OnPg/YD_sH-DumdI/AAAAAAAAfUw/f-RoFPZ44PgD0lU6oTcgfs4Aaqo_l-3sQCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h199/carer.png" width="200" /></a></div>It seems like a simple question, but it often isn't a simple one to answer. To some, it will be blindingly obvious that they're a carer, but for people like me, and maybe you, it will come as a surprise that you're in this role.<p></p><p>I was in denial for a long time that I was Mum's carer. Mum was in denial even longer. She didn't want to lose her independence and she thought that if she accepted that I'd become her carer, or that she needed a carer, then that was her independence lost. This meant a lot to her as she felt her own mother lost her independence too young as a result of moving in with one of her daughters. I was too young at the time to have any opinion on that and don't have much memory of that time. But I do know it weighed heavily on Mum and she didn't want that for herself.</p><p>This caring thing really crept up on me and I couldn't say there was a definitive moment when I became a carer. The journey started when my father died eight years ago. It was traumatic and unexpected and not handled terribly well by the medical teams looking after my father. And my mother was in a state of shock becoming a widow at 86. She'd been wholly reliant on my father to look after the money in the household, and although Mum was no pushover, she had let him make most of their financial decisions. So this was all new territory for Mum. Plus she was grieving the man who she'd been connected to since she was 15. That's a very long time. They grew up together and had adventures together and brought up a family and travelled the world in the 70 odd years they were together. That's a big hole to have in your life.</p><p>And so it happened that I started spending more time with Mum, visiting more often and spending a bit longer with her each time I visited. And that just increased gradually over time. She wanted the company and she needed help with things as her eyesight deteriorated. And when she became ill, typically in the winter, she needed someone with her to nurse her through it, and that fell to me as I was the child who had no dependents and could, in theory, work from anywhere.</p><p>There were times when Mum and I argued about my role as a carer. In retrospect, she was concerned about me as much as she was concerned about herself. She didn't want my work to suffer but the upshot was that Mum needed me, or at least someone, with her more and more. And even though Mum had paid carers coming in, it wasn't enough. And at the same time, I was happy to take on that role and was in a position to do it. </p><p>If you find yourself in a similar position and you're spending more time with a parent and are doing more for them - shopping, cleaning, cooking, accompanying to medical appointments etc, then you are a carer. If your parent or elderly friend or relative is becoming more vulnerable due to failing eyesight, hearing, mobility or other ailment and they need more help day to day, and that is falling to you, then you are a carer. If you're doing this willingly as a friend or relative, you are still a carer. if you are doing this from a distance and spending your time up and down the motorway or railway line to provide this care, you are still a carer. You don't have to be living nearby to be a carer. Find out more about <a href="https://www.carersclub.org/all-advice/am-i-a-carer/" rel="nofollow">whether or not you're a carer here by taking a quick quiz</a>.</p><p>When you become a carer, you can get support and I recommend you accept what support is available to you. You may not think you need any, but this caring lark can get very difficult at times and it's helpful to know you're not alone and that there are people who can support you. The first step is to sign up to your local carer's association. You can find out more here on the <a href="https://www.carersuk.org/" rel="nofollow">Carer's UK website</a>.</p><p>I registered with the Worcestershire Association of Carers back in 2017. And not long after, also joined the Merton Association of Carers too. That meant I could get local support or advice whether I was in London or in Worcester with Mum. And I did take advantage of that support in many ways. Exercise classes, a day trip to Hastings, training workshops and the advice line. The advisors there can also tell you whether or not you qualify for Carer's Allowance and how to claim it and also what benefits and support the person you care for is eligible for. And they can talk you through power of attorney and other matters that will, no doubt, come up.</p><p>In lockdown, the carer's associations really came into their own by providing yoga classes and training sessions on Zoom. The yoga classes became my anchor for the week and were wonderful. What's on offer at any one time depends on what funding is available at the time so it does change.</p><p>My next recommendation is to keep a diary of symptoms. I did this in a simple A6 notebook. I looked for mobile apps but nothing really fitted the bill. Sometimes simple is good. I wished I'd started this sooner for Mum but I only started it once we were in lockdown and no longer able to have in-person visits from the cancer nurse at her recommendation. Every day, as part of our morning routine, I would take Mum's SATs - temperature with a contactless thermometer, and her oxygen levels and her pulse using an oximeter (<a href="https://amzn.to/3kFC3Nz">this is the one I have</a>). I used a no-touch thermometer (<a href="https://amzn.to/2NQOIkR">like this one</a>) and rather than taking the temperature from her forehead, you get a more accurate reading from the inner wrist. And when getting oxygen levels and pulse, you need to keep the oximeter on for longer than you think to get an accurate reading. The numbers need to settle so give it a few minutes. And also, each hand can give a different reading so you may need to take a reading from both hands. Also, the oximeter doesn't tend to like gel nails, so if nail varnish is your thing, you may need to keep a couple of nails varnish-free!</p><p>I also took notes every day of Mum's mood and how she was feeling physically, how she was eating, if she'd needed extra oxygen or other meds, and what we'd done during the day. And if Mum felt poorly or wasn't her usual self, I'd take her SATs more frequently. This helped build up a picture of symptoms and what treatment worked or didn't work. And because it was all in a diary, on the occasion we had a call with Mum's GP or nurse, I could confidently tell them exactly what was going on and when. It also meant the medical personnel I dealt with took me more seriously as I became more intimate with Mum's illness and treatments and ultimately, I believe that led to Mum getting better care than she might have otherwise.</p><p>My final recommendation is to not try to do too much, if that's possible, and to look after yourself. I was lucky. I could give up work to focus on Mum. I know I could not have looked after Mum if I had had to work as well. It would have been too much to take on. Mum was terribly concerned that I wasn't working, but it was the right decision at the time for both of us. I have no regrets about it at all. </p><p>Caring for Mum did get harder over time. I didn't realise how tired I was until it all stopped when she died. It's taken several months for me to not feel tired all the time. The sleepless nights and busy days take their toll and they're not sustainable long term. You will need to take time out - even if it's only an hour. If carers or other support is available to you, take it. You'll probably have to fight for it. I did. The care is rationed and even if you qualify, it probably still won't be enough. Trust me on that one. I had Mum's GP onside, but even then, it wasn't easy to get the help needed so start the process sooner rather than later as it can take time. And you need to find carers to suit you and the person you're looking after. We were lucky, we already had a relationship with a local agency and a few of their carers. It made life a bit easier. But trying to get night carers sorted was a whole other ball game and extremely difficult.</p><p>There is no shame in being a carer whatsoever. It might not be what you envisioned for yourself, but that doesn't diminish the importance and responsibility of being a carer. Carers are generally underrated, overworked, underpaid and left to get on with things. Many carers are in difficulty financially and aren't getting nearly enough support financially or emotionally. It isn't an easy thing to do, but it can be the most rewarding thing you'll ever do. </p><p><br /></p>
Technokittenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15463634342046539840noreply@blogger.com0