Technology That Finally Lets Us Take Matters Into Our Own Hands

Technology That Finally Lets Us Take Matters Into Our Own Hands
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When a grizzly bear bit a British climber he took matters into his own hands and escaped. We need to do this in everyday life and technology is on our side.

A bear bit Greg Boswell's leg. It crunched into his shin and made him scream in pain. But Boswell did not die.

His friend, Nick Bullock, who was there at the time said,

"Boswell is Boswell and the bear just didn't appreciate this. He grabbed the bear's mouth and prised apart the jaws."

Against half a tonne of raw, angry muscle, Boswell put his hands in the giant Canadian bear's mouth and pulled it open. He freed his leg and the British friends clambered for safety in the dark. They walked for over two hours constantly looking over their shoulder. Then they abseiled down a cliff and drove to safety.

Boswell celebrated his victory against the clutches of Death with a perfect dollop of British reserve: he drank a bottle of Grumpy Bear beer.

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I love this story. When faced with insurmountable opposition we are capable of unimaginable feats of bravery. When alone we take matters into our own hands. When there is no choice, we choose.

We need to do more with our own hands in everyday life. Technology has empowered us to do so: you and I.

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Small businesses can now fight back. What happens when you connect all local high street inventories together and put a delivery network on top? A major competitor against Amazon. Pocket High Street is a British startup doing exactly that. If you run an independent shop, you can use collective power to battle internet behemoths.

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The only way to make something happen is to do it ourselves. We must prise open the jaws of a bear, escape through darkness and climb down a cliff. Then, when we're safe and licking our wounds we must accept that our only reward will be a bottle of Grumpy Bear beer. Thankfully, it makes for a good story. Technology has never been more on our side, now is the time to use it.