tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64075396100043615832024-03-17T20:43:49.642+00:00Power is a State of MindMatt Tuckey is a writer from Oldham, England. He covers celebrities, night life, Manchester, fitness, creative writing, social media, psychology and events. Some of this may, in some way, help others. Or maybe it'll just entertain you for a while.CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.comBlogger2196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-43209619539357319662024-03-15T23:16:00.002+00:002024-03-15T23:16:37.975+00:00Well. It took 2 days for this project to collapse.<p>I described on Tuesday I was going to attempt <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/03/time-for-social-media-experiment-again.html" target="_blank">a social media experiment ‘again.’</a> I was referring to <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/02/outright-dismay-with-fame-registry.html" target="_blank">this clusterfuck of a project</a>, from just over a year ago: using a directory of porn stars’ Twitter, uh, X accounts to attempt to boost my blog readership. Using <a href="https://fameregistry.com/" target="_blank">Fame Registry</a>, I found hundreds of accounts from porn actresses - people in a field in which I've received blog retweets before and hence many blog hits. </p><p>I sent these two tweets each time: </p><p><i>Hi, I’m a blogger conducting an experiment with social media. My blog is Power is a State of Mind. https://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/ </i></p><p><i>I have a small favour to ask, (INSERT NAME): could you repost my blog please? It will be a huge help and I’ll give you a good mention. </i></p><p>This time, I made sure I included the @ handle in the second tweet, meaning the recipient sees both tweets and may do what I ask. Otherwise, I'd have been tweeting back to myself, which is an infuriating glitch that Musk seems to have created. I investigated nearly 80 accounts, tweeting to those that had been active in the last month, of which there weren’t many. People - porn stars at least - have largely given up on X. </p><p>One person, <a href="https://twitter.com/kathianobilixx" target="_blank">Kathia Nobili</a>, reshared (Elon Musk won’t let us call it a retweet any more) to her 57.7K followers.
I managed to do this for 2 days, before X slapped me with this: <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7f2jxzoN50ZM7nbCP5Bhj72maaQfhxJmECch8IpoQiP00wsE0W5HFDofhX4Eyqz7a_8OkOUfX_Z-lB4HKRwOR7jANn2TeKzmbWQmAdGyN0PtBEFpimIE9-yLoNpDwEkTxaRUAxiPN5eXMZflTWvsYDJNxH7cPneJ6EwmOJHMQ2OJSw0X5puytcdeWZyE/s2160/x%20warning.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="972" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7f2jxzoN50ZM7nbCP5Bhj72maaQfhxJmECch8IpoQiP00wsE0W5HFDofhX4Eyqz7a_8OkOUfX_Z-lB4HKRwOR7jANn2TeKzmbWQmAdGyN0PtBEFpimIE9-yLoNpDwEkTxaRUAxiPN5eXMZflTWvsYDJNxH7cPneJ6EwmOJHMQ2OJSw0X5puytcdeWZyE/s320/x%20warning.jpg" /></a></div><p>How long is this for? I have no idea. To be fair, I did get a little boost. I'm now at 1,112,001 page views. 3K hits today.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjmhxjcPXrLYuTSIjATBMVTqtjImzQjxCH8KsUSfJhq89vau1FFOFyEqoT5-oN1bV4PXXEwszwgx36OwKIpf4FC-b3Fn8oatqK7mkEzjcQJxTX-hJcCeQi-CGHLfG0MTgMYlLyizsIHUkno1HKvaqewRQ-RETDuDZNLBNMHhyP2R_OlQWBRAb2q7CZwig/s687/stats%20boost.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="687" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjmhxjcPXrLYuTSIjATBMVTqtjImzQjxCH8KsUSfJhq89vau1FFOFyEqoT5-oN1bV4PXXEwszwgx36OwKIpf4FC-b3Fn8oatqK7mkEzjcQJxTX-hJcCeQi-CGHLfG0MTgMYlLyizsIHUkno1HKvaqewRQ-RETDuDZNLBNMHhyP2R_OlQWBRAb2q7CZwig/s320/stats%20boost.png" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>So yeah, that’s another thing from my <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/08/before-42-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">Before 42 bucket list</a> ticked off, fail as it was. Scandinavia is booked. I guess I do what I want now!</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-92047406115644435012024-03-12T09:17:00.006+00:002024-03-12T09:18:13.823+00:00Time for a Social Media Experiment… Again<p>Just after my last birthday I wrote out <a href="https://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/08/before-42-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">this list of tasks</a> to complete before I turned 42. </p><p>Most of these I’ve now had a go at. Scandinavia I have booked. The last of these is this social media experiment. </p><p>The plan is to try to boost the readership of this blog using X (formerly Twitter) and a third website. It may take several months. </p><p>In the meantime, I need to find things to cover on the blog to keep it updated. Events in Manchester. Launches. Meetups. Protests. Arrests. Fights. Celebrity encounters. Psychology information. Book reviews. Conventions. Other stuff. </p><p>This may take 2 months.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-5765932568910143442024-03-11T10:56:00.001+00:002024-03-11T10:56:07.249+00:00Prospective 11/3/24<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WLAaftHh7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WLAaftHh7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4WLAaftHh7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </p><p>Last week: Got a response from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/armandbeasley/" target="_blank">Armand Beasley</a> on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4LMMqdtx9x/" target="_blank">this photo from I think 2007</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/thesundaysport" target="_blank">Sunday Sport</a> liked <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1765300733824434528" target="_blank">this tweet about Saddleworth</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1765301886037447067" target="_blank">this one about The Shining</a>. </p><p>This week: Using up a bit of TOIL. Starting a new blogging project. Expect a post soon. Also, some book reviews. </p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-39399828449554499712024-03-06T08:25:00.003+00:002024-03-06T08:25:40.552+00:00That ‘Chaotic Month’ turned out to be 2 months.<p><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5rUQyL5c6G-TiXkTrpyo11Qz5WdQP_A4V4GRqD0imUv-kWSwhfXAwRIIJ2QBnOpZk41Ycf97DWCn45Pu5SxC-GxEMX24aXAsuRZCmbFd4RJevX57WdHBhXwIKOh0hqGy-YdDn4ItlMwdpuCE8CVnZ-i4_thpTzmlYktTj6WtNhacOGZvv3pYwAomSwK-/s225/namman%20muay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5rUQyL5c6G-TiXkTrpyo11Qz5WdQP_A4V4GRqD0imUv-kWSwhfXAwRIIJ2QBnOpZk41Ycf97DWCn45Pu5SxC-GxEMX24aXAsuRZCmbFd4RJevX57WdHBhXwIKOh0hqGy-YdDn4ItlMwdpuCE8CVnZ-i4_thpTzmlYktTj6WtNhacOGZvv3pYwAomSwK-/s1600/namman%20muay.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Namman Muay Thai Oil</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>Right at the start of 2023 I explained I was going to attempt <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">4 tasks simultaneously</a>: Improve flexibility using traditional <a href="https://nammanmuay.eu/products/thai-oil/" target="_blank">Namman Muay</a> Thai oil, beat my outdoor running record, beat my indoor running record, and fit back into my suit trousers. </p><p>I’ve been working on these for the last couple of months, focussing on diet, including the kind of foods that help with stretching: oily fish, meat, lots of veg, grapes and watermelon. I’d cut out junk food, bread and bananas. I let the porridge run out. It took 2 full months to use up the freezer food. </p><p>Let’s go through these one at a time. </p><p>Did I improve flexibility? To a degree. I sat down with my feet in front of me and pushed my heels against the skirting board, edging them apart as far as I safely could. My record from 2014 doing this was 163cm. In January, I managed 140cm. Within a week, however, I’d got to 157cm. After that, I couldn’t get anywhere near for ages. It took a further month until I got to 158cm. For the last 3 weeks or so, I haven’t managed that far. </p><p>Did I beat my outdoor running record? I do a 5.4km running route around my local area that I’ve had a go at here and there since I was 17. My record was 38:06 from October ‘22. Just a few days ago I managed 37:54. A 12 second improvement. I was putting Namman Muay on my legs before the run. Maybe it helped. </p><p>Did I beat my indoor running record? I had been training my 10-minute run by trying to run at the speed of my PB, 14.1km/ph, for as long as I could. I was managing a couple of minutes at best for many years, and gassing each time. In more recent years, through coming off antidepressants and plundering my body with veg, I’ve ran the full 10 minutes at 14km/ph in January, then 14.1 just before the end of that month, then on the last day of that month I hit 14.2. I’d done it. I’d beaten my oldest PB from the summer of 2013. In early February I pushed it up to 14.3. </p><p>Did I fit into my suits? I was 85.1kg at the start of the year. Yesterday I was 75.3. Then I tried out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shishcafe/" target="_blank">Shish Cafe</a>, and got a pizza and cheesy chips. I’m now 76.1, some way off my 72.2 target to fit into my suit trousers. Oh well. </p><p>I did, however, finish <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-nature-of-social-work.html" target="_blank">The Nature of Social Work</a>, one of the books I planned to read while flexing. I also finished crime novel <a href="https://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/03/condemned.html" target="_blank">Condemned</a>. </p><p>Interesting project. Some successes, some failures. Just a couple more remaining from <a href="https://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/08/before-42-bucket-list.html" target="_blank">this year’s bucket list</a>. </p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-59557647258376592362024-03-05T19:46:00.000+00:002024-03-05T19:46:34.316+00:00Condemned<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP2Fhehnv4AGnoRIF8LCWIiqkOc9TQQFbfnVoauOKro35CYN-8ZVI9vkmnhTA4lAezFzVcDnrkmRdAu8bOPbdO4u7s9QORWJt5EwcY6XbIdYSScgPXHVlj-u1nSgJXUxRddg1DIvFAi-7jkd7p4G8O7l4CHyNBo8td3KBj6GCRR9oKCRy4dG1racRE_W0/s200/condemned.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP2Fhehnv4AGnoRIF8LCWIiqkOc9TQQFbfnVoauOKro35CYN-8ZVI9vkmnhTA4lAezFzVcDnrkmRdAu8bOPbdO4u7s9QORWJt5EwcY6XbIdYSScgPXHVlj-u1nSgJXUxRddg1DIvFAi-7jkd7p4G8O7l4CHyNBo8td3KBj6GCRR9oKCRy4dG1racRE_W0/s320/condemned.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>
A deserted Yorkshire manor house sits atop a windswept hill, awaiting demolition. After an arson attack, DI Charley Mann receives a call-out to investigate. It becomes a bigger job when 2 bodies are unearthed, and more complex still when forensics reveals the bodies were killed decades apart. </p><p>So begins Condemned, a crime novel by <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBridgestock" target="_blank">RC Bridgestock</a>, the name under which husband and wife Robert and Carol Bridgestock write. </p><p>Listen, I really wanted to like this book. I did. I even have family down the road from Marsden, where the story is set. The main problem I had is the dialogue was so, so bad. Whether it’s hardened criminals (of which the authors clearly have no real life experience) or world-weary Yorkshire coppers (I’m not convinced they know much of these either) you find yourself thinking, people don’t really talk like that. There are entire passages where a character becomes a mouthpiece for the research the authors have done, seemingly for the sake of it, speaking of history like they’re reading a page of Wikipedia.
Even the grammar is terrible: why hyphenate ‘ballache’ but not headache? Just because your word processor (like mine) doesn’t recognise it doesn’t mean the slang word hasn’t entered the lexicon. The Bridgestocks (and their editors, seemingly) confuse regular words too, like moral/morale. And how the fuck can a dog be wagging it’s tail ‘ferociously?’ tail-wagging is a sign of canine happiness, FFS. Why tell us that someone’s signature hadn’t changed? Why would it? Another thing the authors are naive to: clearly neither has ever been in a fight. How could you hold someone in a headlock AND point a gun at them? Unless you’re <a href="https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Goro" target="_blank">Goro from Mortal Kombat</a>. </p><p>A very frustrating, confusing and not very interesting book. Not one of subscription service <a href="https://www.instagram.com/teatimebookshop/" target="_blank">Teatime Bookshop’s</a> best selections.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-3807481591392462702024-03-04T07:19:00.001+00:002024-03-04T07:28:36.104+00:00Stone, Ngannou, Joshua, Devour<p>Last week my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jossstone/" target="_blank">Joss Stone</a> <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/02/joss-stones-baboon-badger-conundrum.html" target="_blank">gossip</a> got into celeb gossip email <a href="https://popbitch.com/" target="_blank">Popbitch</a>. </p><p>On the blog this week: a murder mystery novel review, probably a psychology book review and a review of <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">these four fitness tasks</a> I tried to do simultaneously. </p><p>Also this week: former British heavyweight boxing champ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjoshua/" target="_blank">Anthony Joshua</a> takes on former <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ufc/" target="_blank">UFC</a> heavyweight champ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/francisngannou/" target="_blank">Francis Ngannou</a>. Where to watch on Friday night? I’m yet to establish. <a href="https://talksport.com/sport/1703425/anthony-joshua-vs-francis-ngannou-date-live-stream-commentary-uk-start-time-undercard-channel/" target="_blank">Undercard starts 7pm</a>.
</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4FU2YhtUn9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4FU2YhtUn9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; 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height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4FU2YhtUn9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-55504413543138532752024-02-26T10:23:00.000+00:002024-02-26T10:23:16.819+00:00Joss Stone's Baboon Badger Conundrum<p>Using a bit of TOIL up this week. Will be polishing off this absurd <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">flexibility project</a>. Expect a write-up. There’ll also be a couple of book reviews. </p><p>Also, singer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jossstone/" target="_blank">Joss Stone</a> went live on IG on Saturday. I asked her <a href="https://popbitch.com/" target="_blank">Popbitch’s</a> conundrum: Who would win in a fight between a baboon and a badger?
“Badgers are hardcore. I feel like baboons have dexterity. They have more of a chance."
So, there you have it.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-16608238597035967612024-02-18T22:24:00.000+00:002024-02-18T22:24:06.747+00:00Meetup... Meh<p>Meetup group <a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/298649738" target="_blank">Social Manchester</a> – formerly Young Professionals in Manchester - met up in Northern quarter bar <a href="https://www.instagram.com/onthehushcafebar/" target="_blank">On the Hush</a> again on Friday. I attended another of their meetups back in November, and after this went to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nqterrace/" target="_blank">Terrace</a> with a few others that time. I figured I’d give the group another shot. </p><p>I got in late, just before 9, and the bar was heaving. It’s a popular group, but there didn’t seem to be anyone in charge welcoming newcomers or late arrivals. I introduced myself to this person and that person, but everyone seemed so disparate and the night had no agenda, no theme, no plans for later. It was just a room full of people. You can quite easily get ‘analysis paralysis’ in situations like these – who out of everyone here should I talk to? Why this person? Why not that one? </p><p>At least last time a few of us banded together and hit another bar. This time I stayed as long as I could before my disgust at humanity overwhelmed me and I had to duck out. I’d have had a look around town, but it started raining.
I’d also dished out a few cards with my socials printed on them, but, like last time, I’ve not heard back from anyone. </p><p>I also never hard back from the <a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/298299001/" target="_blank">Curated Meet</a> group – from the same Meetup group - that met <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/02/what-is-curated-meet.html" target="_blank">Tuesday last week</a>. I’d tried to keep a group chat going, to no avail. I had high hopes for this group as we were put together based on interests and backgrounds, given in the questionnaire we filled when joining up. </p><p>I was reluctant to get back into the Meetup scene after COVID, as I knew exactly the type of people that would be there: flakes, the socially inept and garrulous twats. But I didn’t know what else to do. </p><p>I know so few good people who are able to go out and do something: barriers include people not having money, being too busy, having different tastes in nightlife, expressing anti-vaxx sentiment, Not grasping the necessity of the lockdown and what constitutes essential travel, being Tories or supporting Israel as they murder Palestinian children. </p><p>In short, not people I’d want anything to do with.</p><p>This week I also went to a traditional pub with my family. This was a much more rewarding experience. </p><p> </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YQgLCNsMQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YQgLCNsMQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YQgLCNsMQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-75363334737413443952024-02-11T20:39:00.002+00:002024-02-11T20:39:19.134+00:00What is a Curated Meet?<p>4 strangers meet in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tariffdale/" target="_blank">Tariff and Dale</a> in Manchester’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nqmanchester/" target="_blank">Northern Quarter</a>. All they know is, they have a lot in common. </p><p>I’m one of them this rainy, cold Tuesday night in February. I’ve responded to a meetup called Socials Manchester – formerly Young Professionals Socials in Manchester – and this meetup group operates a little differently to others. It’s a <a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/298299001/" target="_blank">‘Curated Gathering,’</a> or a ‘Curated Meet,’ a play on words that took me an embarrassingly long time to pick up on. When signing up to the group, the applicant is forwarded to a multiple choice questionnaire – a ‘psychometric test’ of sorts – in which they input details of hobbies, interests, background, occupation and aspirations and other character traits.
Behind the scenes, the organisers then group the respondents into clusters of 4 people – named by colour - who they expect would get on well. I’m in ‘violet group,’ and we’re given a WhatsApp group chat, a meeting time and a location. </p><p>Thankfully this gives me time to dart next door to craft themed bar <a href="https://www.instagram.com/penandpencilnq/" target="_blank">Pen and Pencil</a> and throw some food down me.
</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BEgdMtkXZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BEgdMtkXZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BEgdMtkXZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote><p> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </p><p>The group itself seemed a cool bunch - 2 other guys and a girl – and we chatted about careers, goals etc. I’ve tried to keep the chat going, but Friday was the last message. We will see what becomes of it.
</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-64421930371328653952024-02-05T08:07:00.003+00:002024-02-05T08:07:15.500+00:00Bustling Valentines Scene on Meetup<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfew6-q-olxJj0tzlOxLHv1PAMTqwC2QrARRYJAvW3BUjD5fXWOfZaeZRinN7HuvVHmdqH1GaaFBBTmRRPlzGVnXaWv_Zo6sr9MCEDEizyiW_15pW4w9sHxWUqEw7o8vANzuh9YrUnmZje3NjC4MKZ4Q7FH1Mpmiot9wwF0muf0xF8ImrioZKHWNjjKL08/s600/ezra.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfew6-q-olxJj0tzlOxLHv1PAMTqwC2QrARRYJAvW3BUjD5fXWOfZaeZRinN7HuvVHmdqH1GaaFBBTmRRPlzGVnXaWv_Zo6sr9MCEDEizyiW_15pW4w9sHxWUqEw7o8vANzuh9YrUnmZje3NjC4MKZ4Q7FH1Mpmiot9wwF0muf0xF8ImrioZKHWNjjKL08/s320/ezra.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Valentines Day may be over a week away but the Manchester Meetup scene is already in the mood for love – or at least, getting drunk. </p><p><a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/298299001/" target="_blank">Social Manchester</a> (formerly Young Professionals Socials in Manchester) offers Mutual Meets, a series of small group events in the city. The event details explains, ‘instead of attending one big event we will use your answers to the survey linked below to match you with 4-8 like-minded individuals, chosen just for you!’
The next event is tomorrow night, location unspecified. Follow the signup link. £20 fee. I might give it a shot. </p><p>The same night, <a href="https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-ydyeejov/events/298978586/" target="_blank">FIINU</a> - Manchester’s fun and dating meetup – are running a social in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ezraandgil/" target="_blank">Ezra and Gil</a> on Peter St. Looks to be free. </p><p>Friday: meetup group <a href="https://www.meetup.com/midnightmass/events/297829438/" target="_blank">Midnight Mass</a> head to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshuabrooksmcr/" target="_blank">Joshua Brooks</a> for a set by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/waffdj/" target="_blank">wAFF DJ</a>. Can’t say I’ve heard of him, but the venue is a winner. Had some good nights there. </p><p>Saturday: Social Manchester head out again for <a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/298358120/" target="_blank">Valentines Speed Dating</a>. Tickets are on offer at £20 (standard price £25.) Will you find the one in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ark.manc/" target="_blank">Deansgate Locks’ Ark club?</a> I doubt it, but be my guest…. </p><p>It gets worse: for a chavtastic Valentines, join <a href="https://www.meetup.com/manchester-new-in-town-or-not/events/298613472/" target="_blank">20s and 30s Meetup</a> as they head to glorious bowling alley <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tenpinprintworks/" target="_blank">Tenpin</a> in The Printworks for ping pong, pool and potential pulling. </p><p>These are a handful that have been suggested in my Meetup feed. Each person’s Meetup experience will differ, down to the events that the site offers them, and these are based on the preferences you pick. Take a look for yourself at what’s going on.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-1529853065070580652024-02-04T21:20:00.002+00:002024-02-04T21:20:52.252+00:00Carl Weathers, Indica Flower, Shola Ama<p>Making progress with this <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">fitness project</a>: I’ve now beaten what was my oldest PB, a 10 minute run which I can now do at 14.2km/ph. I’ve not set a PB in this since May, 2013. Still can’t fit into my suit trousers, but the weight is steadily coming off. I was down to 77.8kg on Tuesday. I was 300g up from that on Saturday. Outdoor run record is still as it was. </p><p>I’m halfway through this bottle of Namman Muay, and my flexibility is for some reason reverting. I made progress until the 9th January, and haven’t been as flexible since. </p><p>Actor <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68188746" target="_blank">Carl Weathers has died</a>. He was great as Dylan in Predator, and more commonly known as Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise. I met him at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ftloscifi/" target="_blank">For the Love of Sci Fi</a> in 2018. Seemed like a nice guy. <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2018/12/for-love-of-scifi-2018.html" target="_blank">Gave a fascinating talk</a>.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQn_qMJ1-lfIr_C5gpAAlxT4GroljGa80_VEcHjgRrKGjQLvN8qzinGZ8YRLJ3vGQL-i3lq8jsZ3QllntKYLmVO3k5H-mPxV-LEKncv8uvlnXGGaD9NPbOAHqd3HnZ8KZZNF1Nim0G9xtYuzvL9wcP5_hoFhDoEOxD80HyzVFO5cm9qMkIm1MZ0DSlV-K/s1813/Jesse%20Ventura%20and%20Carl%20Weathers.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1813" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQn_qMJ1-lfIr_C5gpAAlxT4GroljGa80_VEcHjgRrKGjQLvN8qzinGZ8YRLJ3vGQL-i3lq8jsZ3QllntKYLmVO3k5H-mPxV-LEKncv8uvlnXGGaD9NPbOAHqd3HnZ8KZZNF1Nim0G9xtYuzvL9wcP5_hoFhDoEOxD80HyzVFO5cm9qMkIm1MZ0DSlV-K/s320/Jesse%20Ventura%20and%20Carl%20Weathers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>
Corrected <a href="https://twitter.com/IndicaFlowerxxx" target="_blank">Indica Flower’s</a> grammar and she <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1751751375124381761" target="_blank">liked my tweet</a>. </p><p>Singer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sholaama/" target="_blank">Shola Ama</a> liked my Insta story. It was her birthday. (<a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2016/01/meeting-shola-ama.html" target="_blank">I’d met her in 2016</a>.)
</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/isSt2LvTIy">pic.twitter.com/isSt2LvTIy</a></p>— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 @matttuckey on Threads (@matthewtuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1754233614198243562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-34994773675547380812024-02-03T19:26:00.006+00:002024-02-03T19:27:40.961+00:00Lamb with Harissa<p>It was time I got back into cooking new recipes, so I dug out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/missminifer/" target="_blank">Rukmini Iyer’s</a> The Roasting Tin and looked for something a little different. I settled on Slow-Cooked Leg of Lamb with Harissa, Roasted Aubergines and Tomatoes. </p><p>Not a cheap meal, but lamb rarely is. I managed to find most of the ingredients in the big Tesco, bar harissa paste (some kind of eastern condiment, not a celebrity influencer from Brentwood). My mum managed to find a jar from some artisan outlet in Saddleworth. My dried mint pots it seems went out of date in 2015 and 2017, so there’s a possibility that the potency was somewhat underwhelming… but it’s a dried herb. What harm’s it going to do? I’d have to throw out 90% of my spice rack if I was going off date. I substituted with dill, something I use fairly regularly. </p><p>Prep time was supposed to be 15 mins. Took me 32. Standard. Overall, cooking time took about 4 hours. Not that complicated, and is mostly oven time. </p><p>Tesco’s vine tomatoes are bigger than displayed in the recipe book, so they were a little undercooked, and the aubergine was cooked through but not slimy as is the risk with this particular vegetable, as I understand. I’ve never cooked it before.
</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C20ZkB-NjgQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C20ZkB-NjgQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C20ZkB-NjgQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-30090395858831030062024-01-28T20:46:00.000+00:002024-01-28T20:46:00.725+00:00Flexibility, Films, Food, Followers<p>Working on this <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">flexibility project</a>. Making steady progress. Finished the cereal, bread and porridge. Now just buying dairy, meat, fish, tuna, fruit juice for smoothies, and veg. Dipped under 80kg. Don’t seem to be getting anywhere with my 5km run, and haven’t been on the treadmill much, but the bikes in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oldhamactive/" target="_blank">Oldham Sports Centre</a> have virtual races around Europe’s countryside, so touring – on video at least – Austria, Italy and France has been interesting. And exhausting. The last one took me 2hrs 20 mins. </p><p>Managed to squeeze in a couple of January restaurant deals this week. </p><p> </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2iXzyKNIQY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2iXzyKNIQY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2iXzyKNIQY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2kS_p2tVmB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </p><p>I don’t think I’d have a nacho pizza again, but the pepperoni I had a few years ago I seem to remember being brilliant. </p><p>Also, Julia Ann, who I swear had been following me on Twitter for over a decade, took umbrage to a <a href="https://twitter.com/therealJuliaAnn/status/1750651880441872698" target="_blank">comment I made opposing drug prohibition</a>. She’s not following me now, whatever the case. But she must have been, because how else did she reply to my comment, which was for someone else entirely? (Someone who, it seems, blocked me.) I think it was about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/arts/television/jesse-jane-dead.html" target="_blank">Jesse Jane’s death</a>, although I now can’t see. </p><p>And that was my week off. It flew by.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-3475465466821804512024-01-27T17:04:00.000+00:002024-01-27T17:04:15.668+00:00The Nature of Social Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWWoJcGcEpyKHMebRGlNAsR9I9AHHBDtSnYiJP-Q2QBMpljOpisXG343JlLrjeDKZitl43LfUBJAyRH5C8v7RzMBS_hyphenhyphen-wXkZkjkwtUUnl1Jq8_MsCqv8JBd-JoxHs_vHGtJz5vGdOMCZ_fTuVUKIw8djuB9HbrasOebw2GF9t6vXgjz_bEb7jMGJnmc_/s279/tnosw.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWWoJcGcEpyKHMebRGlNAsR9I9AHHBDtSnYiJP-Q2QBMpljOpisXG343JlLrjeDKZitl43LfUBJAyRH5C8v7RzMBS_hyphenhyphen-wXkZkjkwtUUnl1Jq8_MsCqv8JBd-JoxHs_vHGtJz5vGdOMCZ_fTuVUKIw8djuB9HbrasOebw2GF9t6vXgjz_bEb7jMGJnmc_/s320/tnosw.jpg" /></a></div><p>
A while back, I picked up 3 small guide books in Tesco’s charity bookshelf, all on the theme of social work. I work in that general field, back office, so I figured it would be helpful just to do a bit of quick reading to garner a bit of background knowledge. </p><p>This 150-page guide for social workers, written in 1976, was one of the most insanely complicated books I’ve ever read. Author Zofia T. Butrym immediately jumps to the conclusion that we’re all fully qualified and trained already, and that we’re well versed in ‘Kantian philosophy,’ ‘the orthodox Marxist view,’ and who ‘Etzioni’ is. Combine this with no glossary, some italicised undefined German words and some ‘well-known social thinkers’ (named, but we’re told nothing else about them) and you get the impression you’re reading some archaic, high-level guide for toffs who would probably have been suited to NHS management roles back then, rather than patient-facing. In which case, why would they need this book? </p><p>Suffice to say, there’s no glossary. On the issue of words, a lot of the language used wouldn’t fly today: references ‘handicap’ (nobody is playing golf here) and ‘subnormal persons’ cause a cringe, plus a ‘reluctance to acknowledge the prime importance of moral values’ is blamed on ‘a decline in religious faith.’ </p><p>Between 1970 and 2015, the Roman Catholic Church received more than 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of child sexual abuse against more than 900 individuals connected to the Church, including priests, monks and volunteers. In the same period, there were 177 prosecutions resulting in 133 convictions. This is according to <a href="https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/roman-catholic-church/executive-summary.html" target="_blank">The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse</a>. </p><p>I think we can safely confirm that religion and moral values aren’t in the slightest bit connected. Shit, <a href="https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/88590/groping-teacher-jailed-for-historic-abuse" target="_blank">my childhood vicar and teacher</a> went to prison in 2014 for abusing boys in the 1970s. </p><p>Let’s not forget that the most atheist countries, like those in Scandinavia, <a href="https://secularaz.org/less-religion-less-violence/" target="_blank">have some of the lowest crime rates</a>. </p><p>To be fair, Butrym acknowledges there are ‘errors in such an equation’ and ‘morality is an inherent part of human nature.’ </p><p>Further archaisms include a report indicating there are ‘2 distinct categories of social worker – university trained and non university trained.’ This was before Labour abolished grants, turning universities into businesses, who subsequently churned thousands of people out with useless and ill-informed degrees (like mine). </p><p>That said, this mid-70s book already recognises ‘this age of scepticism and materialism’ before the yuppie culture of the 80s and the social media obsessions of the 2010s onwards. Maybe some things don’t change. </p><p>An early point made in the book is one of the most striking for me. Way back in 2010, after I’d received my psych assessment diagnosing me with memory difficulties, I was briefly transferred to the Learning Disabilities team in Adult Social Care. Short term memory difficulties is a disability – a condition that has a long-term detrimental effect on my day-to-day activities – and what I would describe as a ‘learning difficulty.’ It’s difficult to learn anything.
However, the Learning Disability team in Social Care, in any town, will deal mostly with 2 distinct conditions: Generalised Learning Difficulties, and Autism. I have neither of these. So, my time in this department was bound to be challenging. </p><p>When the Social Worker – we’ll call her MJ – first contacted me, she arranged to meet me in a coffee shop in the middle of town. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Once I got there, though, I realised I was in the middle of the town that I’d grown up in, gone to school in and done bar work in. I knew a lot of people there. Anyone could have walked in and started asking questions. </p><p>MJ turned up, immediately sceptical about the situation. 'When I saw your information,' she claimed, 'I thought, how am I supposed to know what to do?' </p><p>She was perhaps toward the end of her career. Did I really want to explain to her the challenges of working in marketing when you aren’t qualified, you have no clue how to make money, you’re friends are verbally abusing you and passing it off as banter, you have no cooking ability, you’re incessantly arguing with your family and every girl you date loses interest in you pretty much immediately? </p><p>None of this was going to fit the field into which she could give viable advice.
I suggested that it might be good for MJ to act as kind of a broker – to help me to find the people that would know how to advise me. She seemed sceptical about this too… and then told me she’d be able to see me once every 3 weeks. </p><p>Months of this went by before I grew a set and sat MJ down, and confronted her over the numerous things that were neglected. By this time I’d got a flat (that she had, to her credit, helped me to bid on), but months later it was undecorated because I had no idea how to do this. How do I use a steamer or hang wallpaper? How do I organise bill payments? What benefits should I be on as a disabled man? How do I budget? Shop for food? Cook meals? My body (which had been in exceptional shape until I’d moved out) had fallen apart, I’d put on 5kg, the one girl I’d changed my Facebook relationship status for (to this day, even) had dumped me, and my ‘friends’ in Oldham were slagging me off over Facebook. </p><p>I’d also been assigned a Housing Support Officer (brought in to oversee my move-out from the parents’ house) but she did nothing, and claimed these above issues were all the responsibility of the Social Worker. </p><p>MJ’s response to this was that she was ‘not a provider of solutions.’ Then she called me spiteful. </p><p>I filed a complaint against her and was taken out from under her ‘care.’ </p><p>Now, let’s get back to this Nature of Social Work book. Very early on in the book there are references to different ‘models’ of social work, a ‘representation of structure,’ of how to administer care for the different people who need it. One of these is ‘The Problem Solving Model.’ </p><p>As Butrym puts it, ‘life consists of problem solving activities. For much of the time, human beings are engaged in these activities without being consciously aware of their challenge to themselves. It is only when, for some reason, their usual equipment for meeting life situations fails them that they become aware of being faced with a problem. When this happens, new resources for dealing with the situation have to be mobilised.’ </p><p>It’s taken me 13 years, but I can confirm that, albeit I was in the wrong department, MJ was definitely wrong about the nature of her own role. This leaves me wondering how effectively she supported her other clients – those with generalised learning disabilities and autism.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UIVqioqvPOdxsjhnVBoTxblN3rmGtIaY5w-dzOCrbz23n8HauJEGzR4LmIyw69bo8IjZA6F0sJDqzcG02DFV6gla6LZmzsFg4an6sdmsIkE2stLyw2844N8HJ_nBs7i5b5sQlK579wIyJZ9xBrKMPIExsMBsDWlpOjk-vgNuPlnZUZVDK7MizlFmIYBE/s400/hate%20it%20when%20I%27m%20right.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UIVqioqvPOdxsjhnVBoTxblN3rmGtIaY5w-dzOCrbz23n8HauJEGzR4LmIyw69bo8IjZA6F0sJDqzcG02DFV6gla6LZmzsFg4an6sdmsIkE2stLyw2844N8HJ_nBs7i5b5sQlK579wIyJZ9xBrKMPIExsMBsDWlpOjk-vgNuPlnZUZVDK7MizlFmIYBE/s320/hate%20it%20when%20I%27m%20right.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
I’m glad this book is over. What an excruciating – albeit occasionally enlightening - read. CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-40449931925821671142024-01-22T18:55:00.003+00:002024-01-22T18:55:45.603+00:00Steadily working through this fitness projectI’m making gradual progress with running, <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2024/01/january-will-be-somewhat-of-chaotic.html" target="_blank">flexibility and weight loss</a>. You can expect a lot of weekly #psychologysaturday content over the next few weeks: book reviews, governmental updates, recipe reviews, possibly some <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Psychopharmacology.aspx" target="_blank">psychopharmacology</a> experiments. Also hoping to take advantage of at least one of <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/best-january-2024-restaurant-offers-28335165" target="_blank">these restaurant deals</a> in Manchester. 9 days left for these.<br />CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-10487504208055296982024-01-21T21:40:00.008+00:002024-01-21T21:40:59.271+00:00Lola Lo Closes / William Forsythe Moment<p>One of Deansgate Locks’ largest establishments, tropical themed bar <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lolalomcr/" target="_blank">Lola Lo</a>, has closed its doors for good. </p><p> </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2R68hWNhjQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2R68hWNhjQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2R68hWNhjQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Lola Lo Manchester (@lolalomcr)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </p><p>I had some good nights in there over the years. Deansgate Locks has sadly eroded from being the celeb / fit bird hotspot of 2002 to the place you go to see chavs bottling doormen and getting arrested. Oh well. </p><p> </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; 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height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/monopolyevents/" target="_blank">Monopoly Events</a> have finally uploaded to YouTube the videos of the panels from last November’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ftlohorror/" target="_blank">For the Love of Horror</a> convention. Here are actors <a href="https://www.instagram.com/realcostasmandylor/" target="_blank">Costas Mandaylor</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Forsythe_%28actor%29" target="_blank">William Forsythe</a> discussing Devil’s Rejects and other movies. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/si9KMOa0D8M" width="320" youtube-src-id="si9KMOa0D8M"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>Skip to 5:25 if you particularly want to hear Mr. Forsythe answer my question about Once Upon a Time in America, my favourite film. What a moment.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-92189037696524897202024-01-20T20:41:00.001+00:002024-01-20T20:41:15.809+00:00I Finished the CBD<p>Way back in 2019, before the clusterfuck of the pandemic and the vaccine rollout, I was attending <a href="https://www.instagram.com/go_pr_and_events/" target="_blank">Go PR’s</a> launch parties and influencer dinners. I don’t seem to receive those invites these days; not entirely sure why. </p><p>Anyway, one of the last events before lockdown was <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2019/11/cancalm-launch.html" target="_blank">the launch</a> of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cancalmcbd/" target="_blank">Cancalm</a>, a CBD company. CBD, or cannabinoid oil, ‘is the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis… One of hundreds of components in marijuana, CBD does not cause a "high" by itself. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.’ - <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476" target="_blank">Harvard Health Publishing</a>. </p><p>I bought a bottle of CBD at the launch, intending to start taking these to see if these would reduce symptoms of social anxiety. I managed to use it just before a few nights out, throughout the end of 2019 and into the start of 2020. </p><p>Then COVID hit. </p><p>Being in lockdown was pretty chilled for me TBH: I was an essential worker, so my money was the same. I had books to read. I was just stressed about relatives getting ill. People breaching the lockdown was an issue for me, and I lost some friends because of that. I stand by my criticisms, though. I don’t care what you were protesting: going out in groups when 100 people a day were dying of COVID was hugely selfish behaviour. But it wasn’t worth using up the CBD when there was no particular challenge to my mental health. </p><p>Eventually, the vaccine came along, and steadily throughout 2021, the country got back to some semblance of normal. Trouble was, a good number of people – that I had formed good friendships with – turned out to be anti-vaxx.
I tried to talk to them, but they weren’t having it. They believed total falsehoods and spread content over socials from far-right politicians and journalists, until eventually I lost my patience and blocked them. I’ve trawled through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter this month, cutting people out. </p><p>Since the lockdown was lifted, it’s been really difficult to rekindle friendships or make new ones, as many of the people I would have gone out with are still going out themselves with anti-vaxxers and flagrant lockdown breachers. </p><p>I guess we all have different morals. </p><p>This year, I’ve made a concerted effort to find social events and to meet new people, but there’s been so little that I’ve genuinely wanted to do. So the CBD bottle sat on my bedroom drawers. </p><p>September rolled around, and it was time for a new challenge. I wanted to see if, with CBD, there was <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/09/does-cbd-improve-memory.html" target="_blank">any improvement to memory or anxiety</a>. I took a drop of Cancalm daily. After a month, I wrote up <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/09/i-tried-cbd-for-month-to-little-avail.html" target="_blank">how little had changed</a>. But I kept taking the Cancalm until it ran out, which it did this week. </p><p>Any changes? I dunno. It’s harder than ever to challenge myself socially. So many people are either broke, anti-vaxx (including, sadly, the Cancalm CEO herself), too busy or have moved away. Or, I have so little in common with them that it’s hardly worth trying to socialise with them. Plus, it’s winter now, and the idea of going out in the freezing cold when people are at their poorest doesn’t appeal – not to me, nor anyone else, seemingly. I managed to get to <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/11/molino-guily-terrace.html" target="_blank">one meetup in November</a>. A few club nights over the months. </p><p>But no, I don’t rate CBD. Better to change thought processes consciously – through reading, learning, or speaking to the medical experts – than by putting something in your body.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-69713472129331032302024-01-15T08:09:00.002+00:002024-01-15T08:09:35.200+00:00Week off next week.<p>Just need to hammer through the next 5 days. </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/onlymikewilliams/" target="_blank">Mike Williams</a> (IYKYK) responded to <a href="https://popbitch.com/" target="_blank">Popbitch’s</a> baboon vs badger conundrum.
</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mike Williams weighs in on <a href="https://twitter.com/popbitch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@popbitch</a> 's baboon Vs badger conundrum <a href="https://t.co/L1Z7lQRCdn">pic.twitter.com/L1Z7lQRCdn</a></p>— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 @matttuckey on Threads (@matthewtuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1746797257876177376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2HO_aYNh4V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-29169260689374866742024-01-13T16:03:00.002+00:002024-01-13T16:03:45.318+00:00Hmm. Got a bit of a nasty email from HMRC this week. <p>No biggie, just had to agree to the following: </p><p><i><b>Keeping your commitments</b> </i></p><p><i>Your payment can be reduced if you don't keep a commitment without a good reason. This is known as a sanction.
The length of the sanction will depend on: </i></p><p><i>• what you failed to do </i></p><p><i>• how long it takes you to do what you agreed </i></p><p><i>• how often you've been sanctioned in the past year </i></p><p><i><b>Warning </b></i></p><p><i>If you don't keep a commitment, you can avoid losing more money by doing what you agreed as soon as possible.
Your payment can be reduced if you don't keep a commitment. This is known as a sanction. The amount depends on what you failed to do and how often you've been sanctioned in the past year. </i></p><p><i><b>If you don't keep a commitment</b> </i></p><p><i>You must tell your work coach straight away. You'll need to explain why. If we decide that you had a good reason, your payment won't be reduced. </i></p><p><i><b>How to avoid reduced payments </b></i></p><p><i>1. Do what you can to stay in work </i></p><p><i>If you leave a job or lose pay by choice or due to misconduct, your payment can be reduced for up to 6 months. </i></p><p><i>2. Report changes to your work </i></p><p><i>If a job ends and you don't report it within 5 days, your payment will be reduced until the day before you report it. Once you've done this, your payment will be reduced for an additional 7, 14 or 28 days.</i> </p><p>--- </p><p>It just seemed to me to be an unnecessary threat to a disabled bloke on PIP and UC, working in the same government admin job as he has been since ‘07, just about managing in a role in which he isn’t particularly well-suited, but he does it anyway because he’s an adult.
I get, though, that it's an automated email that will have been sent to millions of claimants. </p><p>Here’s an idea: rather than badgering working disabled people, why not go after the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/29/how-the-uk-government-lost-49bn-to-covid-loan" target="_blank">£4.9 billion in fraudulent COVID loans</a> that were never recouped? </p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-2911798060091870412024-01-07T20:25:00.006+00:002024-01-07T20:34:48.325+00:002024<a href="https://www.instagram.com/maxfills1/" target="_blank">Max Fills</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tanyatatecreate/" target="_blank">Tanya Tate</a> liked my comment about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1YMpwKxgwV/" target="_blank">British and American spelling</a>.
New year at a house party. Good fun. Then I darted into the City Centre to watch kickout time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Man arrested on Peter St Manchester <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Welcome2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Welcome2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/BkVPlIKQMo">pic.twitter.com/BkVPlIKQMo</a></p>— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 @matttuckey on Threads (@matthewtuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1741708632507457879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unconscious girl treated by police outside Impossible. One guy kicks off. Had to move. Bit risky. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nye?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nye</a> <a href="https://t.co/NEDJyLBcuy">pic.twitter.com/NEDJyLBcuy</a></p>— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 @matttuckey on Threads (@matthewtuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewtuckey/status/1741676772616245643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></blockquote><p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
What a way to start 2024. </p><p>My most-hit YouTube video has ben taken down due to being ‘graphic sexual content.’ Titled ‘Spankathon,’ the video – from 2015 – featured 2 fully-clothed women spanking each other’s backsides. The event in Manchester was, ironically, in response to British censorship laws. </p><p>Lesson here: if your content is in any way risky, best off putting it up on a platform like X or maybe Mastodon. Or, if you’ve got a blog, upload the content straight to your blogging platform. </p><p>I’ve now got a strike on Youtube. I could have sworn <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/gallery/charlotte-roses-spankathon-protest-8746621" target="_blank">the M.E.N article</a> had a video too, but no. </p><p>Manchester favourite <a href="https://themanc.com/eats/cottonopolis-manchester-northern-quarter-closure/" target="_blank">Cottonopolis</a>, a great Northern Quarter bar, has closed. I have fond memories of seeing Andy Smith from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/portisheadofficial/" target="_blank">Portishead</a> <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2017/11/cottonopolis-turns-2.html%20Shame.%20Nice%20bar." target="_blank">DJing there in ‘17</a>.
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1QDH36tjGQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1R9Ni7tBHi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1ZgVDNtRcK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Z4GT4tKKJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Z4GT4tKKJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Z4GT4tKKJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-38143056654452447042024-01-02T21:26:00.002+00:002024-01-02T21:26:41.531+00:00January will be somewhat of a chaotic month.<p>January may traditionally be the quiet, broke month in which people obsess over fitness and money (and who says I won’t?) but it’s the perfect time to hit personal goals, undistracted by other people. </p><p>I have four targets to hit. </p><p><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpk9j5XBSvTXVUSvwwBqJ8wqgaaoVsy5SWV4_5rxVOQDBpRPEfftIbvP_tBXKetCCZ0Ab6E-HQt5T6_BmIHrWHYnTYyxG_To8UwQPtuWqYEPb-8yEwTufdmNe0YctSO1UP3FRPgNn4eUpNtzaHY7SILHWBpckLJHsA35TuF0xP26xB5XtwBoWaIP08HJO/s400/thai-oil-120cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpk9j5XBSvTXVUSvwwBqJ8wqgaaoVsy5SWV4_5rxVOQDBpRPEfftIbvP_tBXKetCCZ0Ab6E-HQt5T6_BmIHrWHYnTYyxG_To8UwQPtuWqYEPb-8yEwTufdmNe0YctSO1UP3FRPgNn4eUpNtzaHY7SILHWBpckLJHsA35TuF0xP26xB5XtwBoWaIP08HJO/s320/thai-oil-120cc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Namman Muay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>1) Improve flexibility </p><p>I recently bought some <a href="https://nammanmuay.eu/products/thai-oil/" target="_blank">Namman Muay Thai oil</a>, a traditional eastern product that warms up the skin, joints and muscles, and is known to prevent bruising. Muay Thai fighters use it before fighting to aid recovery. </p><p>The plan is to use this on my legs to gain some flexibility, whilst polishing off a few books that I really want to read. I’ve tried this project many time before, but this will be the first one with authentic Namman Muay, something I used to use in the early 00s when I trained in Muay Thai. </p><p>My record for sitting splits is 163cm from 2014.
I’ve just sat down and got 140cm. Let’s see if I can beat 163. </p><p>2) Beat my outdoor run record </p><p>I have a route near me that takes around 45 mins to do. On a good day I can do it in 40. I managed 38:06 in October last year, at a time when I was living off spinach and kale smoothies. My weight was plummeting and I was beating my chin-up records frequently. It could be done again, if I have a similar diet. (I’m not going to let my freezer food perish this time, though.) </p><p>3) Beat my indoor run record </p><p>Back in 2013, when I was 31, I managed to run for 10 minutes at 14.1km/ph. In November this year, in preparation for the Santa Dash, a 5km run, I managed to match said record.
Then after the Santa Dash I ate a load of junk food as a reward.
I can get nowhere near now. But the diet will be back on track, the work will be put in and I expect I can get back to where I was in a month. Just watch. </p><p>4) Fit back into my suit trousers </p><p>I managed this <a href="https://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2022/11/i-am-back-into-suits.html" target="_blank">back in November ‘22</a>, after lots of vegetable smoothies. I could do it again, but I’d like a little more variety this time. I got a new smoothie maker for Christmas, as the last one stopped working after the connectors near the motor ran out. I will mix in a few smoothies – spinach and kale, etc. - but I’ll try for a bit more variety of veg, and a bit more roughage too – solid veg and meat. I also don’t want to neglect the freezer food that I’ve already bought. I learned last time, it doesn’t last as long as you’d think. </p><p>I was 72.2kg when I got back into my suits. I’m 81.5kg now. Let’s see where I am in a month’s time, but let’s carry on after that and see what happens.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-43929612261566752692023-12-31T17:00:00.000+00:002023-12-31T17:00:07.086+00:00That was 2023<p>
<i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhsLMlnNGhR-9EJi9Q2bZVgOt6q4UZMU23PI6IhNyc9u4C5Y882haWmcJBasDhACdl4CdGvCLgoAmdIl3-Xul-E2GOjJmciVS-aE0wsU3jkjbdxfL2ZKAaLVRgml00DyGVO29WO4j4CEoYeaLIbbI35i9mtaZZM7gzSsCNkldLABSNZ5n9JSonzB-mkee/s300/bluesky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhsLMlnNGhR-9EJi9Q2bZVgOt6q4UZMU23PI6IhNyc9u4C5Y882haWmcJBasDhACdl4CdGvCLgoAmdIl3-Xul-E2GOjJmciVS-aE0wsU3jkjbdxfL2ZKAaLVRgml00DyGVO29WO4j4CEoYeaLIbbI35i9mtaZZM7gzSsCNkldLABSNZ5n9JSonzB-mkee/s1600/bluesky.jpg" width="300" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p><p><i>It's just a ball of dust underneath my feet
It rolls around the sun, it doesn't mean that much to me
-Mighty Wings, Cheap Trick</i> </p><p>Well, the ball of dust has rolled around the sun once more, and 2023 has come to a close. What an absurd year. </p><p>I lost my patience with anti-vaxxers and blocked huge swathes of them. I’m also on the verge of blocking a plethora of socially inept mitherers, stalkers, gossips, Tories and assorted other cranks. I have no desire to be like this, but I also have no desire to put up with their bullshit. I’m now left with few social options. </p><p>Oh well. </p><p>Life has its perks. Things have gone well in work. I got onto Universal Credit. I’ve watched my niece grow up; she’s around 18 months now. I’ve been to some great events – conventions, book signings, club nights – met new friends, met celebrities, movie stars, fight champions, Olympic medallists and authors, I visited new places, learned about family history and saw my blog surpass the million hit mark (it’s now 82,000 hits past that). </p><p>This week I finally got accepted onto <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/matttuckey.bsky.social" target="_blank">Bluesky</a>, another rival to Elon Musk’s X. I’d applied to join I think in the spring, and had waited to be accepted on, as per the protocol. It’s a very similar layout to X, as is Mastodon and Threads: mostly status updates, with comments, reshares and likes underneath. ‘Search’ and ‘Feeds’ are separate tabs, unlike X, but have the same function. At the moment I’m just posting blog links. Current members include Congresswoman AOC, author Neil Gaiman, whistleblower Chelsea Manning and the New York Times. </p><p>Have a good New Year, folks.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-64533491578617868432023-12-30T17:32:00.000+00:002023-12-30T17:32:03.771+00:00Shock: CBD is Bullshit!<p>Back in September I tried a little <a href="http://powerisastateofmind.blogspot.com/2023/09/i-tried-cbd-for-month-to-little-avail.html" target="_blank">psychological experiment with CBD</a>, cannabinoid oil, to see if it made any improvements to memory or anxiety. </p><p>Shock. It did not. </p><p>I had never expected it to. If a shitload of prescribed meds didn’t, the non-psychoactive elements of a cannabis plant won’t either. But people had been swearing by it, influencers promoted it and brands pumped out their own lines of CBD products. </p><p>I’m not alone in calling bullshit on this movement. According to <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/does-cannabidiol-reduce-worry-severity-or-anxiety-symptoms-new-placebo-controlled-study-says-no-215035" target="_blank">a new placebo-controlled study</a> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/uarkansas/" target="_blank">The University of Arkansas</a>, there’s little to back up the efficacy of CBD. </p><p>‘The average reductions in worry were similar for the 300 mg and 50 mg cannabidiol doses, and the placebo… these findings suggest 300mg of oral cannabidiol does not attenuate cognitive symptoms of anxiety (i.e., worry), following both acute and repeated administration.’ </p><p>Everyone’s personal circumstances are different. People deal with anxiety in different ways, and the condition is triggered by different situations person-to-person. Anxiety happens when your amygdala – your most primitive section of your caveman brain, in your antebellum – persistently tells you to expect a threat (when in reality, there isn’t one). Anxiety is not nervousness. Nerves can put you on edge before doing some thing risky, but anxiety wholly prevents you. It shuts you down and stops you from doing what you need to do. Dropping a bi-product of a plant into your mouth and expecting to solve problems such as these is wholly unrealistic. </p><p>So what’s the point in taking it? </p><p>Well, I’ve got it so I may as well continue using it ‘til I run out. </p><p>But if you want my advice, if anxiety is putting a hold on your life, you need therapy. Talking to a professional will put new understanding and ideas into your situation. A good therapist will tell you what you don’t already know, and work with you to form a plan for moving forward.</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-37467508679024748232023-12-28T17:42:00.000+00:002023-12-28T17:42:50.033+00:00Have You Bought a ‘Selfish’ Christmas Present?<p>A few months ago I was eating a steak dinner at my mum’s – a rare treat. (Well, medium rare, to be exact.) As tasty as it was, from a Saddleworth butcher if I recall, the table knife just wasn’t cutting it. Literally. I used a paring knife from the drawer, but my parents were prepared to battle on with standard cutlery. </p><p>A plan formed. </p><p>I never know what to get people for Christmas, but a set of steak knifes seemed to me to be a great present idea (regardless of what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czOpDN8Knr4" target="_blank">Glengarry Glen Ross</a> will tell you). So, that was one parent sorted. Over the years, I've also bought numerous books that had been signed and dedicated to family members, because I needed to get them <i>something,</i> and I had no other idea... and there was the opportunity to meet a celebrity in the process. </p><p>Around the time I started Christmas shopping, local Public Relations company <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wearebrazenpr/" target="_blank">Brazen PR</a> hit me up with this release.
It me. </p><p>A THIRD OF BRITS BUY ‘SELFISH’ CHRISTMAS PRESENTS </p><p> • Nearly 1 in 5 Brits will still be gift shopping on Christmas Eve </p><p> • Dads are the hardest person to buy for at Christmas</p><p> • Showcase Cinemas is giving customers £5 if they purchase a £25 gift card for a loved one this Christmas
</p><p>Is there such a thing as selfish gift giving at Christmas? It seems so, according to new national research1 published today.
</p><p>A third of the nation buys presents for other people that are actually for themselves, according to the study, commissioned by Showcase Cinemas, which investigated the UK’s gift buying habits ahead of the festive period.
</p><p>What’s more, almost a quarter of people (23%) in the UK are more tempted to purchase a gift for someone if it means they benefit from it too.
</p><p>Despite November (34%) being the most popular month to begin Christmas shopping, nearly one in five Brits (18%) will still be last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, with almost half of the nation (46%) citing vouchers and gift cards as the perfect Christmas present.
</p><p>Men are less organised when it comes to Christmas shopping, with a quarter of UK men still expected to be buying presents on Christmas Eve, with the number dropping to just 13% for women, the survey shows.
</p><p>The news comes as nationwide cinema chain Showcase Cinemas launches its Christmas gift card offer. The perfect gift for any film lover, when a £25 gift card is purchased the buyer will receive a bonus £5 voucher to use for themselves – free of charge.
</p><p>The gift card could be the solution to that one person who is impossible to buy for, as research revealed nearly a third of Brits (30%) believe their partner is the most troublesome when it comes to gift giving, followed by dad (20%) and mum (18%).
</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-dixon-b0ab6814/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Jon Dixon</a>, UK Marketing Director at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/showcasecinemasuk/" target="_blank">Showcase Cinemas</a>, said: “Christmas is renowned for being the most wonderful time of the year, but there’s no doubt we all experience the stresses of last-minute shopping as we get nearer to the big day.
</p><p>“We’re hoping our gift cards can help take away some of those stresses and provide the perfect gift for film lovers and cinemagoers across the nation, while also allowing the buyer to bag a cheeky bonus for themselves. What could be better than giving the gift of film (and tasty cinema snacks) this Christmas?! </p><p>“Our findings also revealed that spending time with family and friends is our favourite thing about Christmas time (63%). Here at Showcase Cinemas, as well as the big new blockbuster for Christmas, Wonka, we’re screening several festive flashback films, and we can’t wait to welcome families into our cinemas to sit back, relax and enjoy quality time together watching a Christmas classic like Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express or It’s A Wonderful Life on the big screen.”
</p><p>When it comes to the nation’s number one Christmas film, Home Alone has taken the crown, with the 90s classic starring Macauley Culkin taking 23% of the vote, beating out stiff competition from Will Ferrell’s Elf (17%) and the British favourite Love Actually (15%), with both films celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year!
</p><p>To purchase a Showcase Cinemas gift card, and earn yourself £5 for every £25 gift card purchased, head to your local cinema’s box office or visit <a href="https://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/gifts" target="_blank">the website</a>.
</p><p>For further information and to purchase tickets for Showcase Cinemas festive flashbacks, please visit <a href="https://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/events/festive-films" target="_blank">the website</a>.
</p><p>UK’S TOP TEN CHRISTMAS FILMS OF ALL TIME </p><p>1. HOME ALONE (23%) (great) </p><p>2. ELF (17%) (overrated, steals jokes from Naked Gun) </p><p>3. LOVE ACTUALLY (15%) (never seen) </p><p>4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (13%) (brilliant, very dark, misleading title until the end) </p><p>5. THE SNOWMAN (13%) (I think I’ve only seen the ‘Walking in the Air’ bit) </p><p>6. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (12%) (never seen) </p><p>7. DIE HARD (12%) (exceptional plotting for an 80s action movie, started a subgenre, and is definitely a Christmas film despite what Bruce Willis thinks. The guy’s got dementia.) </p><p>8. A CHRISTMAS CAROL (11%) (Never seen) </p><p>9. THE GRINCH (11%) (Big Jim Carrey fan so I’m going to put it up there, despite it being a bit depressing. Excellent narration from Anthony Hopkins.) </p><p>10. THE POLAR EXPRESS (10%) (Never seen)
</p>CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6407539610004361583.post-71362307883978782122023-12-24T11:51:00.001+00:002023-12-24T11:51:38.559+00:00Ballycastle and Burger<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C09YTCCtAPG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C09YTCCtAPG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; 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Horrendous weather meant I didn’t bother with a planned <a href="https://www.meetup.com/young-professionals-socials-in-manchester/events/297581531/" target="_blank">Young Professionals</a> Meetup event. CageFightingBloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09281047660517115977noreply@blogger.com0