Rachael McKelvey

• Jacinda Ardern “I no longer have enough in the tank”
• HMV returns to profit!
• Let us eat cake!
• Did you feel blue on Monday?
• Finding some new enthusiasm

Jacinda Ardern “I no longer have enough in the tank”

Jacinda Ardern this week announced she will stand down as New Zealand Prime Minister on 7th February, during her really authentic speech in Wellington she explained she had hoped to remain in post over the summer until the next election but had not been able to find the energy and the heart to continue.

Ardern said ‘I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead – and also when you’re not.’ What a display of leadership, the likes we rarely get to ever see modelled in our lives and even rarer on the political stage.

While its fair to say the legacy left by Ardern is that you can be a power leader and lead with compassion but the price for that is considerable toll, a toll far more considerable as a women in a mans world.

HMV returns to profit!
HMV has returned a profit for the first time since it was bought out of administration in 2019 by Sunrise Records’ C$1.5m who now operate the remaining 114 stores. HMV saw its operating profit hit £2m, with over 60% growth in revenue and gross margin.

The return to profit is thanks mostly to an increase in vinyl sales which surpassed the sale of CD’s for the first time since 1987 and I think the rather clever vinyl exclusivity marketing artist are making part in their releases.

I still love a flick through the displays in HMV, it’s how I spent most of my youth, the part of my first real pay check was spent in HMV and my Business Studies A-Level course work was about the impact of the return in popularity of vinyl. There was a solely vinyl record store in town and my project showed there was demand but not supply, new artists needed to press records as well as burn CD’s if this shop ever hoped to survive. Sadly, it did not, but I’m excited about the prospect of getting old and returning to flicking through music from my youth on vinyl.

Let us eat cake!
Professor Susan Jebb professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford was obviously feeling brave this week announcing to the world that “Bringing cake to office as harmful as passive smoking” and that “workers should think twice before bringing unhealthy treats into the workplace which might tempt colleagues.”

Professor Jebb also happens to be the current chair of the Food Standards Agency but the FSA were quick to assure the public the comments were made in a personal capacity and did not reflect FSA policy or the view of its board.

While its hard to disagree with Professors Jebbs comment about environment and that if there isn’t cake to eat during the day then typically most people wouldn’t eat cake it’s also January and cold and I firmly believe that anyone who brings cake to the office should be put on a plinth and sprayed gold.

A solid tip to eating less office snacks is if they are not homemade or foreign and unavailable in local shops then you absolutely don’t have to have one because Mr Kipling will not be offended, but if they fall into either of the categories above then they’re calorie free anyway so why not!

Did you feel blue on Monday?
So the third Monday of January for the last 19 years has been affectionately referred to as ‘Blue Monday’, this sweet day only just an adult, eligible to vote, get called for jury service, get a piercing and now no longer eligible for free education has also been debunked that I do not understand why the media keep making a thing. IT. IS. NOT. A. THING.

‘Blue Monday’ only exists because Sky Travel asked a psychologist Cliff Arnall in 2004 for a “scientific formula” to explain the January blues, and while the “formula” takes into account all the reasons why January both sucks and blows a bit, the weather, the return to work, the fact your December credit card statement is landing but you know what the antidote to potentially the most depressing day of the year? It’s not a marketing campaign designed to make you book a holiday.

I think the wonderful Joe Tracini has it right when he says that while we are better at talking about mental health we talk about it in terms of here is something to fix it, not in the real way we need to have the conversations and I think things like ‘Blue Monday’ are just a great example of that.

Finding some new enthusiasm
I had my first 1:1 swim coaching session of the year where I have every part of my swim analysed, what my feet were doing (good), where my heels were in the water (good), my body position (good), my head position (good) and most importantly what my arms where doing (not good – octopus in a string bag).

I like to treat myself to these every 6 months or so, just to check in, strive for continuous improvement. The experience is always invaluable, whether you’re a seasoned swimmer or a total newbie, swimming is not one size fits all, while the mechanics are the same they look very different in different bodies, you also don’t know what you’re doing in the water until you can see it yourself or have it explained to you. Having this session, the support of a very knowledgeable coach and the feedback and suggestions on how to address the concerns I have with my own swim.

I have been rescheduling this for nearly 6 months now, I had an awful year in the pool last year…in that I wasn’t consistently in it. But this session left me feeling more confident, has lit a little fire and left me incredibly excited about how this year might turn out.

Current watch: India: The Modi Question – Part one of this BBC documentary aired on Tuesday that examines the relationship between Modi and the attitude of the government towards India’s minority Muslim population. This episode starts at the beginning of Modi’s political career and shows how the foundations have been laid for the rise in fascism in India under Modi. This is a fascinating, well sourced and important documentary, India is the largest democracy on the planet with great influence and a key ally to many nations. Part two airs this week, see you there.

Current read: The Art of Career Change for Introverts: How to stop chasing the wrong jobs, utilise your strengths, and build your ideal career by Rebecca Healey – Relatable content for any introvert who is having a mid-career crisis (It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me) and while there is nothing ground breaking or out of the box in this book any introvert knows it’s nice to have a conversation without having a conversation. This book is a nice mix of prompted introspection and takes you on a step-by-step journey down a thought process that might resonate and provide the mental floss you need to feel a little less unstuck and maybe make some steps to help you be more yourself at work.

Most impactful listen: The News Agents – Armando Iannucci on the prince, politicians and being a ‘spare’ – Armando Iannucci joined Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel to discuss Harry’s book, the current state of politics and the similarities between the attack on democracy in Brazil and the January 6th riots. They cover the what and the why, offering an insightful perspective, a dose of cynicism and the odd laugh thrown in. Armando Iannucci created The Thick of It, Veep and Alan Partridge and if you don’t love any or all of those things, we cannot be friends. 

• The good in social media
• How does your brain think?
• FTX has found $5bn in liquid assets
• How much for Beanz?
• How do you do all the things?

The good in social media
I’m too old for TikTok and really should delete it, but occasionally it throws up a brilliant thing that is so many things. This week an 82 year old Navy Veteran managed to retire after a GoFundMe raised £89,000 ($108,682).

Imagine working till you’re 82? The GoFundMe was set up by Rory McCarty who owns a company called Bug Boys and he has 300,000 followers on TikTok from sharing the bugs he finds at work. Rory posted a video of him and Warren to his account that was viewed over 3 million times.

Warren is the third Walmart employee able to retire thanks to the generosity of TikTok users…so really my mindless scrolling could change lives at some point!

How do you think?
Off the back of this weeks most impactful listen I’ve been spending the week thinking about how I think, I have aphantasia, a blind minds eye, meaning when asked to visual something – I can’t, its blank. I only “know” I am thinking of the object. So it turns out being an aphant means I use a range of cognitive skills differently to those who see things in their minds eye.

Until this week I would have told you I have an internal monologue, but actually thinking about how my brain works I now know that I don’t, there is no running commentary, there is no range of voices, I am not even sure there is a voice, there is no back and forth. I just think things and I can range of thinking a lot of things at once and never not think about something but I am able to think of nothing…Silence.  

But this doesn’t mean I don’t have an imagination or that I can’t be creative, it just means my brain does it differently. It’s been fascinating to work out how I get somewhere and then ask a hyperphant how they do it. Fascinating.

FTX has found $5bn in liquid assets
At a court hearing on Wednesday this week just gone, lawyers representing FTX declared they had found cash, securities and liquid crypto to the value of $5bn and was asking the court to allow a quick sale of 4 subsidiaries, 2 US regulated companies and FTX units in Europe and Japan, to raise funds to repay creditors.

The amount of shortfall between what assets the company owns and what is owed to creditors is still “not yet clear”.

The court also agreed to allow FTX to keep the names of its creditors secret for at least 3 more months to protect the sensitive commercial nature of the information, FTX were hoping this would remain protected for 6 months but this was challenged but US trustee and the media that the public has the right to access judicial records, just as in any other legal case.

This just gets weirder and weirder and more interesting, future accounting students don’t know how lucky they are on this one!

How much for Beanz?
A little bit like the Big Mac index for currency, the price of Beans has recently become a  useful real indicator on the impact of inflation, while I doubt anyone who shops for food hasn’t noticed the impact of inflation on the weekly shop this week has seen another price increase of Heinz Beanz.

Heinz has raised its price of a can of Beanz for the second time in less than a year. The first time saw a very public spat with Tesco that saw baked beans and ketchup stripped from the shelves after Heinz stopped delivery for a number of weeks.

The food industry is under incredible strain due to increased production costs from ingredients to energy and packaging and there are only so much you can absorb without having to increase your retail price.

Will Tesco revolt again? Will other retailers also pull a face? Given the reported increases in like for like sales and increase in revenue over the Christmas period, I hope not, but only time will tell.

PS: Branston beans are better.

How do you do all the things?
It’s been a week on this end of the screen, how about you? Why are best laid plans never enough? Why do they speak so clearly to my brain in a way that really disincentivise me from wanting to make plans again and strongly cheerlead just winging it when I know that doesn’t work either?

Now I have done it once I am hoping to be able to do it again better, I took too many things to do with me, I over estimated how long things would really take – hi Thursday traffic I am looking at you, I didn’t prepare enough in some areas and overprepared in others.

Did I only take too many things to do because I didn’t plan enough on the other things and if I do that this week did I then actually pack the correct amount of things to do? How do you know? How do you do all the things?

Current watch: The Good Doctor  – I am somehow so behind on life I had no idea that season 6 had arrived in the UK! I absolutely adore The Good Doctor, just the perfect medical drama. Freddie Highmore as Dr Shaun Murphy is just a delight, he plays a young autistic savant surgical resident at San Jose St Bonaventure Hospital. Shaun uses his extraordinary skills to save lives and challenge norms. I highly recommend you start at the beginning S1, Ep1 to watch Shaun and the team develop and grow, but even if you have only time for one episode, just pick one. Representation matters, you can’t be what you can’t see.

Current read: Wheel running in the wild – I don’t always reads books, I read anything. A friend kindly drew my attention to this paper from the Royal Society of Biological Science from 2014. A Dutch scientist placed a running wheel outside and saw that it was used wild mise and other wildlife just for fun! The paper is just a joy to read, THERE ARE PICTURES. Some animals used it intentionally, they even did it when there was no reward or incentive to do so. At the urban test site a significant number of the mice who used the wheel were not of an age to know there was ever a food incentive to bring them to the wheel. It was such a wholesome read in the background of the bonfire that is most other news right now!

Most impactful listen: The Case of the Blind Mind’s Eye – The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry – If you close your eyes do you see things, or are you aphant like me? I literally see nothing and didn’t realise other people saw things until I was in my mid to early 30’s! In this Episode Adam and Hannah speak with a neurologist a psychologist (who also see’s nothing!) and a Philosophy professor about the recently named phenomenon of a blind minds eye and how it impacts all aspects of cognitive behaviour. A podcast that felt like a sympathetic hug.

• Learning maths until you’re 18
• Joining the library
• Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty
• The cost of winning at all costs
• New Year, new nothing

Learning maths until you’re 18
Like most I was confused how seemingly out of the blue this announcement came and given the backdrop it was proclaimed against quite how rather out of place it seems. I also have to grapple with my own feelings about maths and school. My maths teacher quit 6 weeks before our GCSE exam having not taught us the syllabus, we all got downgraded to the intermediate paper (highest grade possible a B) and on still learning things as we were walking into the exam hall I only got a C. It still haunts me.

I was not great at exams, nor dealing with the panic at that age and while I do agree with Simon Pegg in many ways that the world needs more of the softer unmeasurable skills I also come back to the joy in maths, how maths is actually fundamental in creativity and expression but also the bedrock to most things, enter Hannah Fry and Marcus du Sautoy whose life’s work is showing just how creative and how applicable maths is.

So my real feelings on this aren’t as polarised as I first though, they come back to the fundamental belief that education needs reforming, children should be taught things of value, applicable to real life, in a creatively and fun way, whether its maths, sciences or English and the door should always be left open to pursue further education without barrier.

Joining the Library!
I joined the Library this week, I know I know, the last thing I need is more books and while I am inclined to agree, the library is so much more than books.

While signing up, there were conversational language groups happening in the meeting space downstairs, I recognised Spanish and German from two of the tables, there was also someone who was learning to read, there were books, there were computers, there were tables and chairs, there was warmth, community and non-judgement.

In a world where it feels like there isn’t time to use these local services, there is always a way. In joining the library I also joined Borrow Box, an audiobook app where I can borrow an audiobook right to my phone, for free.


Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty
So Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges over the collapse of FTX and the 4 week trial is set for 2^nd October, the judge also protected the identities of the two guarantors of his $250 million bail bond.

Bankman-Fried at age of 30 is facing 8 charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities and securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and campaign finance violates as a result of the collapse of his crypto exchange. I think it might be an uphill battle after the former CEO of Alameda Research and cofounder of FTX both pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November and have agreed to co-operate with US authorities

This trial is already set to be anything but ordinary, due to the possible 1 million creditors left behind in FTX’s wake the prosecutors have also told the court they will notify victims via a website rather than individually as normal.

The cost of winning at all costs
I eventually gave up following the elections for the Speak of the House, probably just over the halfway mark in the rounds of votes, I think its dangerous to want something that badly. I know Kevin McCarthy has been wanting this is whole life, but I don’t know if that makes you good for the role or not. Based on recent events closer to home I think I can speak on behalf if just about everyone that we all wish Liz Truss hadn’t wanted to be Prime Minister at all costs.

McCarthy made light of his success at the 15^th attempt, following the appeasement of members of the Republican party with a number of concessions, were these in the best interest of the party as a whole, were they really the right thing to do, or just the thing to do to get what he wanted? Time will tell on McCarthys fitness to lead the house and further test my hypothesis on winning at all costs.

New Year new nothing
If you’re doing dry January, chances are you gave up by the 5^th and I do believe if you’ve resolved its next week that you might give up. I’ve never been much of one for resolutions but this year I have decided to set an intention.

Just a single word by which I can measure actions and intentions and see if they resonate with my single word of choice. I am hoping this word will guide me when I can’t decide because it will either fit or it won’t and it will also keep a focus to create some change for the better without having to declare a want to be a different person or achieve a specific thing…those things will happen if my word of choice helps me make the decisions to get there.

Current watch: Limitless With Chris Hemsworth Run, don’t walk to Disney+. An absolutely phenomenal series. Chris Hemsworth is on a mission to live better for longer and takes on six unique challenges supported by top scientists that test his mind, body and soul to the max. I learnt, I laughed, I cried and now I really fancy trying Navy Seal drown training. It really make me think of the ways I could find to live better for longer, with some very practical take aways even for those of us who don’t play Thor part time.

Current read: How to Make the World Add Up by Tim Harford This has been in my TBR since release, I get the FT weekender solely for Tim’s column, I listen to More or Less and Cautionary Tales and I always like to re-read his books. How to Make the World Add Up is an indispensable guide to thinking twice about numbers and headlines using ten (plus one golden rule) to understand the numbers, how they are presented and what they really might be trying to tell us. I think I might really be a frustrated not quite clever enough economist, but even without that interest this is a fascinating read in world of disinformation and quick attention grabbing headlines.

Most impactful listen: Lost At Sea Another binge listen where the BBC investigate the disappearance of a fisheries observer 500 miles off the coast of Peru. Journalist Rachel Monroe walks you through the seven-part investigative podcast to find out what happened and how a ship can return to port a month later without someone on it. I found myself hooked and absolutely fascinated by the work of fisheries observers and how juxtaposed they are to life on the high sea.

• So that was Christmas, what have I done?
• Covid data to end in new year
• Trumps Tax returns
• Warmest year on record and technically a white Christmas
• Going gluten free and staying gluten free?

So that was Christmas, what have I done?
Do you reflect on the years just gone, have you reflected on 2022? I have always previously thought I did, but this year by taking some time to reflect and answer some specific hard questions I realised I’ve never really done it before, on any level, personal or career.

We are not all created equally and I find free writing really hard, but specific questions that I have to wonder what you mean by asking that, they get my pen flowing. It was a really powerful exercise that made me realise that some things have had bigger impacts than I thought and those I thought did have the biggest impact did not.

It also made me look back at everything last year, my diary and all my photos, the good and the bad and what really struck me was how there was always something good going on, somethings I’d forgotten.

Covid data to end in new year
The Government plan to stop publishing its Covid R rate, hospitalisation, and death projection modelling later this month deeming it “no longer necessary” thanks to better outcomes from the virus because of the vaccines.

This just makes me think about data, I hope the modelling continues behind the scenes and it is simply the publishing that stops and if it’s only the publishing that stops then I hope it doesn’t stop scrutinising and re-examining its findings for errors, for bias, for assumptions. The best data sets are those that are visible, that pass the kick test, that can be used to replicate the same hypothesis over and over again.

Warmest year on record and technically a white Christmas
The Met Office declared 2022 to be the warmest year since records began in 1884 and despite the frost and snow defrosting at this end of the country long before Christmas arrived – did anyone else suddenly feel less festive? It was officially (technically) a white Christmas in the UK.

The Met Office confirmed a white Christmas for the UK after sleet was reported in Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland and Lough Fea in Northern Ireland.

Head of the Met Office National Climate Information Service Dr Mark McCarthy stated that “The warm year is in line with the genuine impacts we expect as a result of human-induced climate change,”.

Trumps Tax Returns
Six years of Trumps tax returns have been released by House Democrats, revealing he declared no table income in 2015 and 2020 and nominal taxable income in 2016 and 2017 so paid little to no federal taxes 4 out of 6 years but he paid more in foreign taxes than federal taxes in the first year of his presidency. Trumps comment on this? It “once again show how proudly successful I have been and how I have been able to use depreciation and various other tax deductions as an incentive for creating thousands of jobs and magnificent structures and enterprises”.

Hate the player not the game.

What’s your one thing that’s really two different things?
Following on from my one thing that’s really two different things about going gluten free and staying gluten free…Well I am going gluten reduced and hopefully staying gluten reduced. I’m not coeliac but I do have a condition that is greatly improved by removing gluten and I have concluded that for 2023 my life is basically just going to be a series of (pseudo)science experiments, what works stays, what does not goes.

In a world where everything good has gluten (and milk powder) in it, I am attempting to work out when it affects me the most and I think it’s in the evening, I think my ability to tolerate gluten and not fall asleep is best in the mornings and dips after about 3pm, so where I can make some easy substitutions in the rest of the day, its just a no after 3pm, which means I can still eat an almond croissant without having to be £10 for two from really expensive bakery. This is not a lie. Two almond croissants, £10.

Current watch: Suits – It’s Christmas and I just wanted some easy watching & apparently my other half hasn’t ever seen it. HOW? American (Filmed in Canada) legal drama is my jam, add in an eidetic memory and a gloriously ambitious, neurotic and talented staff, just a winner. It’s been lovely to revisit a series that I really loved so much at the time and to see its actually aged well.

Current read: Santa Grint (The Time Police) by Jodi Taylor – Taylor usually puts out a short story at Christmas, which is typically less than 100 pages and is just perfect to excuse yourself on Christmas day and curl up somewhere quiet and enjoy. I highly recommend all of Jodi’s work (I must ration my reading of them as I never not want to have one in hand). St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research investigate major historical events in contemporary time, but there are Time Police and this year they threw a Christmas Party!

Most impactful listen: Sweet Bobby from Tortoise Media – I became OBSESSED with the search for the world’s most sophisticated catfisher, and this was inhaled in two sessions with 8 hours sleep in between. I think reporter and host Alexi Mostrous makes a great point about the reception of this investigation with the younger generation and the older. I met my partner online so I get it.

• Have you ever survived a digital detox?
• Paying tuition fees to listen to David Cameron.
• How to wind down into the Christmas break
• Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX
• What’s your one thing that’s really two very different things?

Have you ever succeeded at a digital detox?
I’d like use my phone less but after the infamous separator (I used to have an iPod in 2020) became an integrator it’s really hard to let it go, I have recently spent some time in the presence of someone who needs phones turned off and it’s been quite nice once a week to just not be available for 2 hours.

I’ve always had the limit the time you spend on apps function on and recently extended that out from the working day to all day every day, but this week I’ve taken the apps off my home screen, I’ve put them all in a file on an odd tab in the hope that maybe some extra steps will just make me think twice. I’m not sure I’d survive a digital detox, but I would definitely consider a less smart phone in future.

Paying tuition fees to listen to David Cameron?
I’d be very interested to see the student numbers for NYU Abu Dhabi’s new course “Practising politics and government in the age of disruption” taught by non the less than former British Prime Minister David Cameron, it feels a bit like sitting in on a lecture from Exxon Mobil about the best way to preserve sea birds in and oil slock

I’m not entirely sure Cameron practised politics and government in the age of disruption, more started a chain reaction for absolute chaos and then snuck back to public life like butter wouldn’t melt, and that’s not even considering Greensill Capital – the biggest lobbying scandal of a generation that we just don’t talk about because everything is worse.

But who am I kidding, if it was on and I’d paid for a different course I’d absolutely 100% sneak in at the back and eye roll profusely.

How to wind down into the Christmas break
I wholeheartedly believe that yoga makes you a nicer person but practising with Yoga Christine is like the cheat code for the final boss the minute you set foot on your mat. I had the absolutely pleasure of attending her mini retreat this weekend and the theme was how to transition into the festive break.

How is that the most obvious things are the hardest to see? The analogy was that we all get to Christmas Eve and perform and emergency stop and wonder why we struggle on Christmas day to relax with white knuckles and whiplash, the trick is to use this week to mirror, signal, manoeuvre and gently pull up to Christmas day by taking time and care for ourselves.

And it seems too obvious I don’t know how I never really twigged that before.

Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX
Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested and denied bail in the Bahamas this week and is facing some serious criminal charges for widespread fraud (what multimillion pound business functions on QuickBooks!) for the goings on at FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded in Hong Kong in 2019 before moving it to the Bahamas in 2021.

He is likely to agree to extradition back to the US, to face the 13-page indictment with 8 counts including wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud.

While this feels all very Fyre-festivally, the industry will still be talking about this in 10 years time, crypto might have reached the end of the road and blockchain has some real reputational damage to hedge.

What’s your one thing that’s really two different things?
I basically think my entire life is made up of one thing that are really two very different things. Reading books and buying books are two very separate hobbies, doing crafts and buying craft suppliers are two very different things, the me that does the food shop and the me that cooks the meals are two different people.

Turns out going gluten free and staying gluten free are also two very different things, especially at this time of the year. Why do gluten free wraps smell like playdough and taste like rolled out playdough, it seems unfair.

Current watch: Pepsi, where’s my jet – The Netflix docuseries of the story behind the court case Leonard v Pepsico, Inc. Everything in the 90’s was EXTRA and the adverts were no different. Pepsi wanted to shove it to Cola, the more Pepsi points you got from purchases the more cool stuff you could have, for a cool 7 million points you too could have a AV-8 Harrier II jet…or could you? John Leonard, aged 21, convinced 5 investors to help him get the points and he sent that claim straight into Pepsico. I love the law, but honestly, I love the bit behind the cases that you don’t see more. This docuseries is well worth a watch.

Current read: Enough: An Imperfect Antidote to Perfectionism – Vix Anderton – Another book that came recommended, a lovely little book you can read in one session about how perfectionism shows up in all our lives whether we realise it or not, a beautifully gentle guide to make you think, help you understand and compassionately take you on the journey. I think this would resonate with even the most reluctant of readers.

Most impactful listen: How To Academy: Tim Harford Meets Adam Grant The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know – A chat from early 2021 between two giants about individual rethinking and collective rethinking and why you should always think like a scientist! The smarter you are the harder you might find to update your beliefs, a podcast well worth your time.