iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

When you fill a hot water bottle do you use the hot tap at the sink or a kettle full of boiling water? (I've always done the latter but read in the last year or two that you're meant to do the former because of the risk of the bottle splitting and covering you in boiling water).

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

And yes, a mobile phone is insufficient on its own as safety equipment if you're climbing a mountain (reception is very variable - think paper maps, a compass, a whistle, proper clothing, water, food, an emergency shelter and maybe more tech like a satellite phone)

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A plot feature I saw twice in a day or two: people locking mobile phones away in devices intended to reduce use and then things happening to them that really needed the ability to make a phone call. I hope in the real world nobody starts a mountain walk without good safety equipment.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I watched maybe the last two series of That's Life! (It ended in 1994 when I was 12-13) and liked Esther Rantzen from that (and yes because I hadn't been watching since 1973 I was sad / annoyed it ended when it did) Am sad to read of her death.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Just read an NHS email suggesting giving 16 month old toddlers lentils and rice to play with. They were also suggesting sugar, flour and custard powder which would be messy but not generally harmful if eaten, unlike dried lentils and rice that cannot safely be eaten without being cooked.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Hopefully privacy concerns will stop cameras being fitted in shared bays. Hopefully there will be other safeguards before cameras are introduced to adult ICU areas to allow awake people to have private conversations with medical staff and in person visitors / by phone.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

How can you justify treating a 6 month old in NICU differently to a 3 week old in PICU re family camera access? This feels very slippery slope to me - if NICU get cameras then so should PICU and if they get it why shouldn't adult ICUs?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

If we have cot cams in NICUs (which is probably a good idea) how do we resist arguments that there should be cameras in children's intensive care units? AIUI babies who are discharged from hospital in the usual way soon after birth are never admitted to NICUs if they need to go into hospital.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Anybody know of somebody like @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com who specialises in helping small businesses rather than consumers?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

But primarily thinking it's too late and sales should have been stopped months ago and / or the product should be re-designed to be safer.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Reading this as a bit like the COVID movement restrictions in the sense of there being no Parliamentary process in advance. I don't know Parliamentary procedures well enough to know if MPs could challenge it in September.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I wonder what the unintended effects of www.gov.uk/guidance/sta... will be. It's unclear from that link if they can be supplied business to business (imagine being a business offering outdoors experiences wanting to plan for the October half term and wanting to bulk buy these BBQs for future use?)

gov.uk

Statutory Guidelines On Disposable BBQs

In response to the current droughts and heatwave, the Government has introduced statutory guidelines in relation to the supply of disposable BBQs.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

So, the BBC are using the Radio 5 live commentary for the Audio Description of the Wimbledon men's final. That's kind of reasonable (except for the interruptions re the cricket scores) But it's not integrated. The 'accessible feed' on iPlayer has the BBC1 standard commentary.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Any personal recommendations for videos for inserting eye drops? I struggle with it and could do with some help.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

to help minimise their unwinding time after the match so they get a bit more sleep before school.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

If you're free to sleep say 5am - 9am you'll have a more productive day. If you have football interested kids they're going to be better off watching at home in pyjamas than in a pub. The key will be persuading them to sleep 8pm - midnight. Think about good sleep cues - warm milk, a shower etc

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

rather than actually trying to sleep properly. If you care about the result you're going to have a hard time winding down to sleep afterwards whether it's a win or a loss. You may be better having an early breakfast, a 20 mins nap and then starting your day very early with a view to an early night.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

To expand a bit: it looks like I've been generous with the timings for sleep forgetting about the potential for it to end with a penalty shoot out. The rule of thumb is if you can get four hours sleep do so, if you can't you may be better drinking some caffeine and napping for approx 20 mins

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Not a football fan, but someone with lots of experience of late nights / all nighters. If you're planning to watch the 1am kick off on Monday morning I suggest sleeping 8pm - 12am and 3.30am - 7.30am.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Feeling pleased I think I'm going to be able to sleep without a fan on tonight for the first night in about a week.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

@martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com - Morrisons yesterday told me that free oranges were only for children rather than everybody as a football promotion thing. Can you check / update MSE if it's wrong please? Realise it might be an internal communication problem instead.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Any recommendations for UK ISPs beyond Zen and A&A? Who is *good*?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Single sided facial flushing; internet diagnosticians please let me have your best guesses! Left side of my face feels much warmer than the right. (On my radar but don't necessarily fit well: menopausal flushing, rosacea, degenerating mast cells)

White woman wearing a top with an envelope pattern. The right side of her face is mostly pale.

White woman wearing a top with an envelope pattern. The left side of her face is flushed a much deeper shade of pink than the rest.

White woman wearing a top with an envelope pattern. The right side of her face is a different colour to the rest.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

If you don't pay the incentives you claim to offer, people will vote with their feet and go elsewhere whilst concluding your customer service / general attitude isn't great.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Feeling annoyed / sad / taken advantage of. Opened a savings account with a bank last December in the expectation I would receive a £25 Amazon voucher about now. The interest rate on the account is worse than I could get elsewhere. Haven't received the voucher. Am chasing but unsure if I'll succeed

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney Anybody here know anything about these newfangled plug in solar panels that are apparently going to be available soon? How they work. What kind of space you need for them. How durable they are. Whether you need smart meters. Batteries. Etc

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

@martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com - water companies say they report use of their social tariffs as non-standard payment arrangements to the credit reference agencies. What impact does that have on people's ability to obtain credit?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I don't know if the answer is to use Google calendar. I don't need the apps to remind me to order medicines - I use calendar notifications for that.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Hive mind: please recommend medication reminder apps. I've tried Dosecast and MyTherapy. Both work for a few days and then stop. I don't know if this is a fault with the apps or my phone. So actually, any tips on Android settings that might be interfering with the would also be good.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Maybe a niche question - I know the Socialist Workers Party doesn't have a good reputation in some circles (can't remember why precisely). Does it have any links to stand up to racism or show racism the red card or are they properly separate organisations? (Cross post from mastodon)

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Sometimes I can't believe what I see; lanyards should always have a safety breakaway so you can't be strangled with your own lanyard. Hanging your telephone from a lanyard with no breakaway is asking for trouble.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Back in the day, HMRC's employer's helpline was good - didn't have lengthy waiting times and could answer most questions. I've now spent 69 minutes on the phone (most of it on hold) to chase something I asked for at the end of June. I'm now being told to expect a response by near the end of August.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

If I was being unkind, I'd say that looks like a proposal to remove EHCPs for people aged 18-25.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

I have a suitcase with a stuck handle. Is this repairable in anyway or so I relegate the suitcase to storing stuff at home?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Wonder what the impact on domestic violence is from the England women's football team winning.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Isn't measles airborne? With an R of 11 or so. Meaning that even really good cleaning isn't going to do much.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Can anybody help me work out why the Afghan data leak feels familiar/ like I already knew it? Has something similar happened re another country? Is it a plot point in a book?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

A lot of that stuff they have a duty to provide as reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act - the s.6 definition of disability is different to the CFA definition of SEN and special educational provision. Generally s.6 Equality Act is wider.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Turned this fan on last night. It tripped a fuse and smelt like I'd struck a match. Is there anything likely to be repairable inside it? It's some years old: I think I acquired it second hand in about 2010.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

I think there was over application of the concept I see medics write about, idealistic hospital docs not understanding how GP works / the burden of warfarin monitoring. Did this GP see lots of haematology requests to swap to warfarin for trivial reasons?

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

So, Young Sheldon, the last three episodes were good but made me cry - (character death and aftermath) (this is a programme I like because it's comedy)

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Watching series seven of Young Sheldon on Netflix. Wondering what's available that's similar for when I run out of Young Sheldon.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

I'm lost as to why Glastonbury have condemned the comments and why the BBC are saying they should have ended the livestream.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

I think there's a distinction between wishing death on people and wanting an end to a particular organisation and the latter isn't a death threat. I heard that bit as closer to "disband the Israeli army" than "kill Israeli soldiers" but maybe there's context I'm missing.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

So can somebody explain why the chanting other than the bit about wishing death on a bit of the Israeli army is offensive? The other bits sound like standard issue protest chanting.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

A bowl of water in front of a fan is supposed to help as is hanging wet sheets in front of the open windows. I haven't been able to do that. I have saturated sheets/ towels and hung them over internal doors pointing a fan at them.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Watching the first episode of Suspicion and it includes places in Oxford that I know and has a plot point involving parked cars outside a College. It's hard to fall into the story when you know how few non-taxi cars you'll see in central Oxford / the overzealous traffic wardens.

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Karen McAtamney @kmcatamney.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

My memory (1999-2002) of the PPEists I knew was of them doing quite a bit of maths so worth looking at stats/ other maths stuff as well as any reading.

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