I have updated the Blogs of Interest and Websites I Browse sections on the sidebar. This was to remove links to websites that are either offline or websites that haven’t been updated in so long that they may as well be offline.
There’s a question here about why bloggers stop. But I’ll leave that question for another time, maybe when I have the energy to consider the question and write a post.
Take care,
Antony
A General Life Update (with Photos)
By AntonyAmazon, Books & Authors, Friends & Family, Life, TechnologyNo CommentsThis is a general life update. As most of you will be aware my new book Mental Health Wisdom has been released. It was due to be released in May, but was moved forward due to the way Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Works. I realised that it is also available on Amazon internationally. You can learn more here here.
The whole process of writing, editing and publishing the book has been a huge learning curve. It’s awesome to see my own work in print. I feel really happy and very proud of myself. I’ve managed to get my book on Goodreads. I’ve reached out to some bloggers who have agreed to review my book. I now need to get some reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. |
As I spent the end of last year and the beginning of this year working on my book, I’ve used the time since to catch up with family and friends. I’ve met with my mum and she’s shared her excitement about going to Thailand and Cambodia. My brother Shaun and his girlfriend are adding to our family. My brother Neil and his fiancee are excited about a move.
My friend Kay has shared her experiences from a recent trip to Australia. A family I’m close to (they have all but practically adopted me!) have shared stories of their children and grandchildren. My friend Sye shared that he has passed his theory driving test.
There’s been so much going on for the people that I love and it’s all positive. It is wonderful to hear.
My iPhone 6 Plus had fingerprints on the camera that no amount of lens cleaning would remove. The battery was beginning to die. This is the second iPhone I’ve had in two years and I really look after my stuff. So I decided to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S10+:
This phone is superb. The only annoyance is that often the fingerprint scanner doesn’t recognise my fingers. Here are some features on the phone:
- A massive screen.
- A long-lasting battery and fast charging.
- Three camera lenses on the back and two on the front.
- A sensor that can detect you heart rate, the oxygen saturation in your tissue and levels of stress.
- It was quick and easy to transfer my data (contacts, photos, music, calendars) from my iPhone to the S10+. In fact Samsung has an app that does it all for you.
- The settings make the phone highly customisable. You can download full themes, or just wallpapers and icons.
- All Apps available on iPhones are available in either the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.
- It has plenty of RAM.
- A huge amount of storage, the amount customisation on order. It can also be extended by Micro SD.
- It can be wirelessly charged and can be used to wirelessly charge other devices.
- Has a headphone jack.
- Dual speakers that are really loud.
- Affordable accessories made by third parties.
- The list could go on.
I’ve planned and booked my annual leave off work until the end of January. I am in the process of make plans for my time off.
I’ve been enjoying Star Trek Discovery on Netflix. I also watched After Life written by and staring Ricky Gervais.
After Life is a must watch. It’s about a man (Gervais) whose wife dies due to cancer. It is about how he deals with the loss and gets on the path to contentedness. After Life is funny, pulls at your heart strings and is overall brilliant. The ending felt rushed, but the reasons for this are understandable. Here’s a trailer: |
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Finally, I’ve recently had feedback from a 360° online anonymised questionnaire as part of a Leadership Programme at work. This questionnaire was sent to a wide range of people that I work with. I don’t discuss work on my blog. But I will say that it was hugely positive, with only a few minor areas for improvement. This affirms my beliefs that I am good at my job and perform well.
Blog soon,
Antony
Tech Review: WD My Passport (Yellow) 4TB Portable Hard Drive
By AntonyAmazon, Reviews, TechnologyNo CommentsYears ago, I bought an Iomega StorCenter Home Media Server.
Iomega was bought out by Lenovo whom only offered limited support for Iomega products. I updated it a few years ago and since its never been able to connect over the Wifi, only by ethernet cable. Then recently the Server started making hard drive failure sounds. It had all of my downloaded TV series and films on. So I decided it was time to update. |
Instead of opting for another media server, I went for a WD My Passport (Yellow) 4TB (photoed above and below). Here’s the My Passport features:
- It’s Plug and Play, meaning that it doesn’t require its own power source but is instead powered through USB.
- It’s portable.
- It is made by Western Digital (WD) whom have an excellent reputation for making high quality hardware products.
- It comes in various hard drive sizes: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB & 4TB.
- It has a funky design.
- It comes in various colours: black, white, blue, red, yellow & orange.
- It runs silently.
- It is relatively cheap, available on Amazon for just under a £100 for a 4TB model.
- It has Built-in 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption meaning that you can set it so that a password is required for access. This feature cleverly allows someone to use the drive on any computer – even one that doesn’t have the WD software installed and without having to install any software.
- Auto Backup software is installed. Or you can use other software for backups including Apple’s Time Machine.
I decided because my new drive is portable that I wanted a solid case to protect it when not in use. I found this AmazonBasics Case:
If you’re looking for an external and portable hard drive to give yourself more disk space on your laptop or PC, I can highly recommend the WD My Passport (Yellow) 4TB on Amazon.
Review soon,
Antony
About
Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of five books:
Ways The Human Can Go Wrong
Are you a Doctor, Nurse, Healthcare Assistant or Other Healthcare Professional? Or a Student?
Ways The Human Body Can Go Wrong covers every system of the body, what can go wrong when the body malfunctions or fails, symptoms (including why these happen) and cures/treatments available.
It includes knowledge around essential skills for Clinical Excellence such as Assessment, All Age Observational Norms, Models of Care, Communication/Handover Tips, the role of Specialities, Medication Tips, Dealing with Errors, Documentation Advice and a list of Useful Resources.
It is written in plain English, but highlights important medical terminology. It has been written at a level where someone from a non-medical background can pick it up and learn, but that it is still valuable to those with significant Clinical Experience.
My Royal Navy Friend
My dear friend Roy decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and enlist in the Royal Navy.
I wanted to maintain our friendship, to continue to support Roy, to make him laugh and to entertain him. So I came up with the idea of sending him a weekly email on random topics.
These emails were on a variety of topics, always being entertaining, sometimes being interesting, sometimes funny and occasionally being serious.
Topics included: Jokes, Puzzles, Inspirational Quotes, Future Technology to Be Excited About, How to Fight A Shark, How to Woo A Turtle, Some of the Most Amazing Jobs in the World, Facts About Castles, Do Aliens Exist?, The Kindest Humans, A List of Cakes, 13 Weird Body Facts, 20 Super Space Facts, Ancient Egyptian Curses, 10 Weird Olympic Games, The Great Emu War of 1932, Quiz: Flags of the World, Legendary Characters from the UK and others.
My Royal Navy Friend is a copy of these emails. In total, there are 52 emails. Dispersed throughout the book are also Royal Navy facts and stories.
The Alcohol Therapy Workbook
This workbook has been designed for anyone that is struggling with alcohol or has struggled with alcohol in the past.
It is written in a Motivational Interviewing style, one of the key therapies used to support people with alcohol issues. It has been designed using a trauma-informed approach and is strength–based.
What you will find in this book is more than just worksheets about alcohol. You’ll find all the tools someone needs to get into recovery from alcohol and stay there. It’s a therapy-based book, not an alcohol-based book.
SpellCast
SpellCast is a comprehensive compendium of spells, oils, charms and talismans. It is purely a book about magic, folk magic for the 21st century. The spells are ones that are tried and tested, with some that will stand the test of time.
In SpellCast you will read about the power of Instant Magic, of Banishment & Bindings, Blessings, Cleansing, Communication, Death, Employment, Finance & Money, Fertility, Friendship, Happiness & Joy, Health, Love & Relationships, Luck Magic, Protection, Transformative Magic and WishCraft.
This book will change your life. Your life will be abundant in all meanings of the word.
Mental Health Wisdom
This book contains everything that you need to know about mental health and mental illness.
Mental Health Wisdom is divided into three sections.
Understanding is section one and is all about the facts of mental health.
In section two, Empathy Through Lived Experience, the author shares his personal experience of mental illness.
Life Hacks is section three. It’s all about self-care and quick and easy ways to improve your mental health, prevent mental illness or relapse of mental illness.
Mental Health Wisdom
Mental Health Wisdom contains everything that you need to know about mental health and mental illness.
Mental Health Wisdom is divided into three sections.
Understanding is section one and is all about the facts of mental health.
In section two, Empathy Through Lived Experience, the author shares his personal experience of mental illness.
Life Hacks is section three. It’s all about self-care and quick and easy ways to improve your mental health, prevent mental illness or relapse of mental illness.
If you find my blog educational or entertaining, please consider making a purchase or donation on Ko-Fi.
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