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Pretend Cato

@pretendcato.bsky.social
242 followers 864 following 259 posts

Democracy things as COO/Director at Delib. She/her. Not all work. Rhymes with potato.

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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Back to the colder months so, once again, I bravely try to bake despite all the evidence that I should give up. And why not bite off more than you can chew? So today, I attempt two breads I’ve never made before: panettone and ciabatta. Italians, mi dispiace
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is made using my nanny’s apple cake recipe. She grew up in Hertfordshire in an adoptive family. Nanny was born with a disability which - among other things - meant her grip wasn’t very strong, but meant her cakes were amazing, never overworked. She was a formidable 4ft 11 with big person energy
An almond and apple cake in the shape of heart
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is such, SUCH a good essay. That feeling of a veil being pulled between who we really are and how we want to communicate vs what is acceptable to the algorithms and corporations
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Steve Mullis @stevemullis.net · 05/10/2026
[car dealership waiting room] Me: [chanting] knobs, knobs- Other car buyers: knobs, KNOBS Car salesman: [pounding desk] KNOBS, KNOBS, KNOBS!
forbes.com
Knobs Returning To Some Automakers’ Vehicles, To The Relief Of Many
Auto companies are listening to the complaints of consumers, who want their knobs and buttons back.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
If anything this chair is
A bag for a reclining beach lounger that says “Too Beach”on it, with a picture of the blue lounger on a beach
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Maria Popova @mariapopova.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The vocabulary of vulnerability – 10 words from around the world for complex and difficult emotions, from "abhiman" (Sanskrit for the pain and anger we feel when someone we trust hurts us) to "żal" (Polish for the melancholy felt at an irretrievable loss) www.themarginalian.org/2026/08/24/b...
themarginalian.org
The Vocabulary of Vulnerability: 10 Words from Around the World for Complex and Difficult Emotions
Language is the chalice we lift to our lips to taste our own experience — a vessel that constrains what it contains by giving it its own shape. The more complex our experience, the more muddl…
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Dan Hon @danhon.com · 09/07/2026
Tomorrow at 9am PT join @jukes.ie and myself for the very first How People Work, Live! where we'll be talking about how the tricky thing about making software isn't really the code, it's people. It's always just people. July 10, 0900, free on Zoom! calendly.com/verylittlegr...
Banner for the How People Work, Live! event on Friday 10 July at 9am Pacific.
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Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Let's talk about mass trespass.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Growing potatoes is the closest I’ll ever get to magic. A wizened old nugget goes in the ground and then a couple of months later it’s made about 5 legit-looking potatoes #POTATOES
Some halved, home grown baby potatoes, on a grey chopping board
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Amazing deployment of the corporate myself and yourself on the train: “I’m afraid the trolley service to yourselves will be slower today due to myself working by myself”
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
This beautiful Citroën had a cassette tape of Grace Jones inside, all it was missing was a pack of Gitanes and a passing whiff of Serge Gainsbourg’s trousers and we’d be all set
A beautiful grey Citroën CX sitting under a sunny blue and white clouded sky on a grassy arena surrounded by people, marquees and other cars in the background. It sits long and low to the ground with a hooded back wheel
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Gareth @gawuffy.co.uk · 05/06/2026
I'm sorry what? As part of its 1987 rebrand British Rail's sectorised freight business Railfreight had its own branded After Eight mints and called them AFTER FREIGHT!?
A black After Eight mint wrapper with gold lettering "After Freight. Wafer-thin mints by Railfreight of Britain". A gold logo is reproduced on the wrapper.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Kraftwerk: it was gut
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I’ve spent the train ride back from #Interesting2026 looking up Bertolt Brecht, subscribing to Stack magazines, and finding other weird time signatures in Radiohead songs. The magic potion worked!
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Lucy Fishwife 🥐 @lucyfishwife.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
HEAD OF TEETH
"The products are amazing. I've been using them for years..."
Rylan Clark
Creative Director 
& Head of Teeth
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Jukesie @jukes.ie · 18/05/2026
The Product for the People meet-up series is returning to Bristol on the 3rd September in some shape or form to be decided so save the date...or don't...I'm relaxed either way. Product for the People is for people interested in public service product management - but not just product managers!
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Been extremely successful at growing things again. What a harvest. (coin for scale)
Two miniature chillis, one teeny tiny red one and a very slightly larger yellow one next to a 5 cent euro coin (which is about the size of a 1 penny UK coin) for scale
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
The Bond Lotus Esprit on our Christmas tree (next to a traditional christmas angler fish) And today, at Bicester Scramble, the real life one!
A small white lotus esprit Christmas tree decoration hanging on a Christmas tree near other decorations The real Bond film white Lotus Esprit on display at a car event. It is in front of a building and has quite a lot of people around admiring it
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Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 05/04/2026
Few people are aware of how much progress has been made against cancers. Leukemia is probably the most striking example. Before the 1970s, most children affected by leukemia would soon die from it. Now, most children in rich countries survive. ourworldindata.org/childhood-le...
Survival curves of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia
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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
The results have exceeded even our most whimsical expectations. Meet our rats!
A group of rats in beautiful garments, posing for the camera at The Museum of English Rural Life. Each rat is wearing a different costume, inspired by experiences of childhood in historic rural England.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
New challenge just dropped: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... …but I haven’t finished the South West Coast Path yet 🫠
bbc.co.uk
World's longest coastal path opens in England to the public
The King Charles coastal path will allow walkers right of access to the entire coast for the first time.
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Rebecca Montacute @beckymontacute.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Do you know how much is in your pension? When was the last time time you checked? Do you know your own contribution levels? Or your employers? New SMF research out today finds far too many of us are not on top of our pensions -
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Anthony Zacharzewski @anthonyzach.be · 26/01/2026
Measles vaccination, human rights, international peace, European unity. The far right have never met a 20th century achievement that they don't want to destroy, and all in the name of the most fragile and pathetic men on the planet.
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Jukesie @jukes.ie · 26/01/2026
Morning folks - for all the people at Govcamp who were asking me about the National Data Library here is an actual, official update with some specifics...for the first time I think 🎉 www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
National Data Library: progress update, January 2026
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
A lovely @themarginalian.org.web.brid.gy newsletter today. Got to love a bit of George Saunders on a Sunday morning: “You’re not permanent. You’re not the most important thing. You’re not separate.” www.themarginalian.org/2026/01/20/g...
themarginalian.org
How to Be an Instrument of Kindness in a Harsh World: George Saunders on Unthinking the Mind, Unstorying the Self, and the 3 Antidotes to Your Suffering
Here is the mathematical logic of the spirit: If love is the quality of attention we pay something other than ourselves and hate is the veil of not understanding ourselves, then loving the world mo…
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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Sending love and good wishes for inspiring conversations, effective planning and important mutual support to everyone headed to #ukgc26. I’m sad I can’t be with you this year, but my thoughts go with you! @ukgovcamp.com
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
POTATO
A screenshot of the Mirriam-Webster dictionary GIF frozen on the word ‘potato’. The quote post above it says ‘take a screenshot of this GIF, and whichever new word you land on is YOUR word for 2026’
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Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Have you ever wondered what a review of the year would be like if it was written by a halfwit who spends too much time on here? WELL... Historian John Julius Norwich used to publish a ‘Christmas Cracker’ of stuff he collected each year from history and literature. I do the same, but stupider
mulberryhall.medium.com
Christopher’s Christmas Cracker 2025
An explanation of what follows
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Stamanfar @stamanfar.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
In 2026 we are reinstating the regular One Team Gov breakfast club in London and also running a virtual one for anybody who doesn't have a meetup near them. If you're interested you can sign up for both using the link (and please retweet/skeet!) www.linkedin.com/posts/onetea...
linkedin.com
Between 2017 and 2021 One Team Gov held space weekly for people working across government to come together, connect, reflect and support each others work. Some local meetups like in Manchester have… |...
Between 2017 and 2021 One Team Gov held space weekly for people working across government to come together, connect, reflect and support each others work. Some local meetups like in Manchester have be...
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
I really love today’s ’I thought about that a lot’ www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2025/hair-lo...
ithoughtaboutthatalot.com
In 2025, I thought a lot about hair loss and masculinity – I thought a lot about that
A new anonymous essay published every day in December in the countdown to Christmas.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
“Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should”
A trainer-loafer hybrid shoe. The top is a grey loafer but the sole and someway up the side is orange. On the sole this merges to red ombré at the back and is a chunky running shoe sole with grey tread underneath and serrated running shoe lines across the side
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
MY EYES (a mere £600 for this chimney with toes)
Knee high black leather boots with a peek toe at the bottom, slightly resembling a chimney with toes poking out the bottom
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
HONK sillygoosebag.com
sillygoosebag.com
Silly Goose Inc.
Silly Goose Inc.
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UK Gov Camp @ukgovcamp.com · 12/10/2025
UKGovCamp Birmingham: Join Us! UKGovCamp is happening on 17 Jan 2026. If you work in gov and haven’t attended, now’s the time! Leaders in policy, operations, and diversity, please share with your teams, connect with colleagues, and help spread the word! Contact us to get involved.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
This whole thread. I can think of a person who’d love each one of these cursed items
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...
bbc.com
Canada 13-33 England: Red Roses win Women's Rugby World Cup
England produce a performance full of power and ferocity to defeat Canada at Twickenham and win the Women's Rugby World Cup for a third time.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
This is great, lovely in fact - 30 minutes with a stranger pudding.cool/2025/06/hell...
pudding.cool
30 minutes with a stranger
Watch hundreds of strangers talk for 30 minutes, and track how their moods change
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
In today’s edition of Shoes I Never Wish to Wear: Featuring the unholy trinity of mule, kitten heel and boot for £365
A brown leather slip on heeled shoe: its sole is black and bumpy a bit like solid opaque bubbles leading to a chunky kitten heel at the back. The top is like the front part of a brown leather 90’s style boot but it’s been cut to be a mule shape, so it’s only the bit of the boot covering the foot to below the ankle. Very hard to describe but extremely ugly
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Sharon Dale (she/they) @pixlz.com · 01/09/2025
We @hellostu.xyz @mikerose.co.uk @adrianhoward.com @ox1digital.co.uk @pretendcato.bsky.social @jamiearnold.com @himal.bsky.social and Martin (not of this parish) have been meeting about monthly for Geeky Coffee in Dorchester. I'm thinking of Dorset Geeky Coffee does Edinburgh or SDinGov Geeky Coffee
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Great to see @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com talking about our platform Citizen Space being used to ask people’s views on managing council tax. MHCLG have done a great job of building a thorough and considered consultation that you can take part in: consult.communities.gov.uk/local-govern...
consult.communities.gov.uk
Modernising and improving the administration of council tax - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Citizen Space
Find and participate in consultations run by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Civic Tech Field Guide @civictechguide.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
We've added Demystifying AI and Empowering Workers (Online) to the civic tech calendar (ift.tt/Qcz06Y4). Full info here:
ift.tt
Demystifying AI and Empowering Workers - UC Berkeley Labor Center
Join us for a three-part webinar series that will cut through the AI hype to help better understand digital technologies in the workplace and how to respond through collective bargaining and public policy.
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Ian G. Williams @igraywill.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
We must fight for the future we want to live in, continue to study and experience the ways in which pro-democracy tech can and does work in practice, and resist the current antidemocratic Big Tech "mask off" moment. #TICTeC #PITech @civictechguide.bsky.social @mysociety.org
The closing panel at TICTeC 2025.
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Kathryn Corrick @kcorrick.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
A big thank you to everyone at the @mysociety.org team for a fabulous and thought provoking few days of #tictec that were beautifully organised.
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
On a completely different note, I need people to know that this exists as a thing you can buy and own
A photo of Have a Sausage magazine, which is styled to look like a gossip magazine. This is Sweep’s magazine from The Sooty Show. The cover reads:
“Your trusted source of saus goss” at the top and has a big photo of the Sweep puppet.
The main headline across the front in big letters reads: “sorry, your sausage macchiato is ILLEGAL!!!”
Then there are smaller article examples on the cover around this saying:
“He promised me sausages and then he cooked a BURGER!”
and
“TRAGEDY! Soo chef BANS sausages”
And “Breakfast Terror. Forced to eat EGGS instead of sausages”
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
I’m loving this post from the teams in MHCLG and i.AI about Extract and the process behind developing it to transform historical planning documents into structured data. Harnessing skills across departments 💪🏻 (HT @visitmy.website) mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/12/e...
mhclgdigital.blog.gov.uk
Extract: Using AI to unlock historic planning data
This week, the Prime Minister officially launched Extract, the AI tool which the Digital Planning programme in MHCLG and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence are developing to transform decades o...
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Today at #TicTec, @jessiea.bsky.social and I are giving some examples of where people’s involvement in consultation and engagement has made a direct impact. It’s fair to say we’re feeling nervous 😬
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
A great first day at #TicTec: securing our future, the role of civic tech in combatting big tech, AI (of course) but genuinely practical applications and initiatives, a great workshop facilitated by @gavinfreeguard.bsky.social on what we need to make change And lots of excellent corridor chat 
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Kermit having a rough day
A toy Kermit the frog hanging from a clothes line all alone. The line is strung between two trees over a grass lawn and he is pegged up by his hands in a sort of crucifixion-style stance
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has donated and shared. Over £4400 raised for Anthony Nolan (@anthonynolan.bsky.social) and it keeps going up. Lifesavers, the lot of ya x
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Pretend Cato @pretendcato.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
I did the London marathon! No Guinness World Record (unless ‘most sweaty person dressed as a cell’ is one) but I finished and it was an amazing day. There’s still time to donate. For example, you might consider £1 for every litre of sweat I lost (e.g £5) www.justgiving.com/page/cato-fo...
Lots of runners with the Houses of Parliament behind, in the centre is me, I’m dressed in a round stem cell outfit
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