Typecast

A tweet from Paula scrolled past the other day.  She said, " That thing after you've finished having children when you realise you've got fave names left over... " This got me thinking - choosing a name for a child is a huge responsibility.  But that is only just the beginning... Certain areas of our identity are structured through biological make-up and parentage, for example, race, ethnicity and gender, but the way in which we act can be used to control how we see ourselves and how others see us.  Freud argued that our identity is formed and shaped in the subconscious using childhood experiences and our natural need to be pleasured and sated.  Adapting these through the development of personality and desire is a way to control our identity as an adult. Society, in any form, is established by its structure and interaction and the translation of rules and regulations.  We have to develop our identity and establish the presentation of ourselves to others...

The Kingston MobileLite Wireless is an ingenious piece of kit and has become something that I carry with me at all times now.  This 3-in-1 device is not just about being connected but more about having unlimited access to files and photos from your portable hard drive (and other storage devices), streaming content to multiple devices and backing up your mobile phone battery. Confused?  Let me break it down for you. Portable Card Reader The MobileLite Wireless works as a portable card reader to give you unlimited access to all of your data, anywhere you are.  I have been using it with both a SD card and my external hard drive to access presentations for work.  You can also store photographs, music, documents and more in the same way.  Wireless and Streaming Using the MobileLite app, available on iOS and Android, content can be shared and stored to three devices at once.  This is great for children on car journeys or if someone wants...

The Big Cheese , Episode 2 aired last night on Preston FM .  We now have Episodes 3 and 4 "in the can" but I'll keep reminding you to listen in.  I'm already seeing what can be improved on and the team are settling into their roles in the show.   If you didn't get chance to hear the show then you'll be pleased to hear that I uploaded it to MixCloud  for your aural pleasure.  I'd love to hear what you think. The Big Cheese, Episode 2 by Nickie O'Hara on Mixcloud PS.  Don't forget you can catch updates on Facebook and follow the live show tweets on the hashtag #BigCheeseQuiz .

I have a theory about music.  An octave contains only eight notes and even with the use of higher and lower octaves and sharps and flats, there is only so many ways in which to order these notes before obvious similarities start appearing in songs.  So when I was recording another episode of The Big Cheese for Preston FM and played an Adam And The Ants track as part of the music round I wasn't too surprised when Steve, one of the panelists asked me if I knew that it was a blatant rip-off of a Rolf Harris track. So I got home and had a listen and they are definitely very much alike.  Tell me if you agree... Adam and the Ants - Prince Charming Rolf Harris - War Canoe Apparently, according to  this interview  with Danny Baker, Rolf didn't know about the similarities until someone told him and they settled out of court. It reminded me of another couple of tracks which I've always though sounded like each other.  Tell me what you thi...

Monday 19th August was World Photography Day  which is all about celebrating photography. So, of course, Tara has requested that this week's Gallery pictures represent what you were doing on World Photography Day. I wish I could have gone off exploring somewhere exciting or interesting with my camera. Instead, I had one of the most mind-blowingly busy days and almost forgot to snap a pic.  It started with a desk day at work, catching up after being out of the office delivering a course last week.  Later, at home, I live-tweeted the first episode of my new radio quiz show, The Big Cheese  and then shot straight out of the door to speak at #PrestonGeekUp  which was the most awesome experience.  So, to capture that unusual (geek) moment I took a 'point of view' picture of some of the lovely people listening to my talk.  And they were listening intently.  They was no tweeting every third sentence or scribbling of notes but actual list...

After completing my radio presenter training  at Preston FM I was giving the opportunity to create a show of my own.  I have a few ideas on a list but the ultimate goal is to create an enjoyable listening experience.  After a bit of a brainstorming session with the rather fabulous, Will B , I sent out this to be included in the Preston FM newsletter: Pilot for a new panel show.   Nickie O'Hara is piloting a brand new show for Preston FM. The panel show will be half an hour long and will incorporate general knowledge style and music-based quiz questions. Humorous input from panelists is a must. Recording will take place outside of the studio setting at a time and place convenient to all involved but an evening commitment is preferred. If you are interested in taking part in this "I'm Sorry I Haven't Got An Egg Head To Mock The Week" quiz experience please email Nickie. Well, I love it when a plan comes together.  A great mix of people replied to the re...

This week, on  Soundtrack To My Life , I hand over to Sonya.  She's a mum to three and has an opinion on everything.  I'm very interested in her musical choices as she has played in bands herself all across Europe (I bet she's got a few stories to tell) and can still be persuaded to pick up that bass guitar again from time to time.  For now, it's over to Sonya... ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ David Bowie - Starman   I first came across David Bowie when I saw him on the Spiders From Mars tour in 1973. Admittedly I had what is known as a 'restricted view' , what with being in utero and all, but it was definitely love at first listen. I still love him now and have seen him perform several times since, the last time being at Glastonbury more than ten years ago now. There are so many utterly awesome songs by him, but this particular one has special memories attached as it is also the one my Dad used to sing to me as a lullaby when I was small. Let The Children boogie i...

Over at The High Tea Cast this month I've been fulfilling a much-needed service - translating the Sidebar of Shame .  I've probably omitted loads of their much-used phrases so go and share your favourites in the comments. Find all my articles on The High Tea Cast here 

Soundtrack To My Life  has returned!  To take us through her musical journey this week is Liz - blogger and communications extraordinaire!  Liz is on the mum blogger circuit and writes about life as a full time, self-employed woman with two sons at primary school and her marriage to her "Lovely Bloke".  So now, it's over to Liz... ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Barry White - My First, My Last, My Everything My first choice is "My First, My Last, My Everything" by Barry White. It has seen me through happy and sad times. It's something that still makes me feel good whenever I hear it! I have chosen to share this version with the Ally McBeal cast dancing in it because I can do that dance. I've spent many, many hours practising it and am waiting for the moment to come when I do it for an audience!! Tina Turner - Simply The Best My second choice is Tina Turner's "Simply the best". I love it because it's a song that I've listened to w...

In the main, social media is held in high esteem in my world and there are many branches to it.  It has been a constant learning curve over many years and I continue to expand certain networks, use different platforms for different purposes and generally enjoy my time on there with my imaginary online friends. Looking at the bigger picture, social media is relatively new.  Depending on how long you have been online, your choice of platform determines how you update your social network.  Social media – usually Facebook - is used extensively by non-bloggers to connect to their friends and family.  Twitter has been seen very much a place to have mini conversations and connect with people outside of the immediate circle of real life friends and Google Plus has been adopted by many a geek because of the intricacy of the networking facilities in line with the incorporation of visual tools and inclusion in Google’s own search engine.  Social media is also seen as...

Yes, you read that title correctly.  I'm hyperventilating into a brown paper bag as I type. However, I am trying to streamline my diary at the moment and after trying to run two Filofax lives (one work, one home) I think the only way to re-discover my love for my Filofax is to stop using them for a bit.  So I am going from an A5 Black Zipped Metropol and Personal Spring Green Chameleon to one from the  Personal Planner  website.  I suppose, in many ways, the idea behind the PP is like a Filofax in that you can create your own style and feel.  I have got mine to run from August to July to fit in with the educational year for work and mixed and matched the additional pages at the back to suit my needs for work and home. I have tried all sorts of ways to perfect the double-life Filofax but there isn't anything that completely suits my needs.  It's been a time of change this year at work and maybe that's the issue - no continuity, lots of...

Today I have two posts for you about  Cancer Research UK  which tie in with my recent  Race For Life  activity and fund-raising.  You can  find the other one here .  As you know, I also host a series called " Cancer - Your Story " which encourages sharing of personal stories by those who have been affected by cancer in whichever shape or form.  If you would like to contribute to the series,  please get in touch .   ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ A month ago, a billboard with a human twist stopped commuters in their paths as Cancer Research UK launched a new campaign asking everyone across the UK to take one million actions to "Beat Cancer Sooner".  Adam, Anna, Parminder and Linda, who have all survived cancer, became part of the billboard at London Victoria Station.  The image above is from Cancer Research UK's TV advert. The new campaign (#beatcancersooner) is asking people around the UK to help generate 1 million actions against...

Today I have two posts for you about Cancer Research UK which tie in with my recent Race For Life activity and fund-raising.  You can find the other one here .  As you know, I also host a series called " Cancer - Your Story " which encourages sharing of personal stories by those who have been affected by cancer in whichever shape or form.  If you would like to contribute to the series, please get in touch .   ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ In today’s increasingly digitized landscape, we are surrounded by data.   Between mobile technologies, an always-intensifying reliance on computers, and the web’s seemingly endless networking platforms, we compile a staggering amount of information.   So researchers today face the historically unique challenge of having too much information.   Or rather, to put it another way, researchers have too few methods for analysing the vast amounts of data they can now collect.   And while this problem is an obstacle for all ...