After that Australian bushfire video, where the rescued koala bear subsequently died, I thought I'd bring a video with a message of hope on alternatives to plastics. Here's the excellent Youtube channel Just Have A Think telling us of a few technological advances that perhaps we weren't aware of. I suspect that FLT will find this especially interesting: It also features my own new favourite material of wonder - Bamboo.
January 5th is the eve of the Fiesta de los Tres Reyes here in Spain. In the evening, crowds gather in the streets to greet the arrival of the Magi. Here in Esporles,it is no different. I stood with my friend outside the Ayuntamiento, the Town Hall, which proved to be an excellent position to see the whole event. Preceeding the arrival of Balthazar, Gaspar and Melchior was a band of drummers beating their instruments rythmically in time-honoured fashion. Next came the Three Kings, each oñe arriving in a horse-drawn carriage, and finally came three trucks heavily laden with presents for the children. Upon their arrival, the Wise Men went up to the balcony to address the vast throng gathered below. Having finished their greeting we were showered not with gold, frankincense nor myrrh but with a torrent of sweets and confetti. And the good news for teachers is that they return not on the 7th but the 8th.
My friends attended the fiesta in Torrevieja, an old fishing town before the explosion of tourist properties, and the three kings always arrive by boat, before parading through the streets to the Ayuntamiento. Every year they set up a massive “miniature village” type nativity scene in the plaza outside the town hall, which is magnificent, and left untouched by all. It probably wouldn’t last a single night in the UK, before pieces were being robbed/trashed. Everyone is always looking for El Caganer (the pooper), who is always hidden somewhere in the scene.
Shame saintinserbia hasn’t been around lately....I know fats is having a time out but don’t recall SIS saying he was out.
Anyone read that piece on the BBC page; Confessions of a slaughterhouse worker I got about half way through.
Grim reading HR. I worked in a poultry processing plant one summer whilst at uni, and that was bad enough but cattle... I much prefer shot meat like venison and other game these days as I figure most don't even know what's hit them.
The one that really gets to me is seeing young male chicks being hand chucked into a grinder while alive, cheeping away. If I weaken on my vegetarianism, as I do love the taste of meat and poultry, that totally does it for me.
Since the start of last season, bookmaker Bet365 has had rights to show FA Cup ties on its website and app. The matches are available to anyone who had placed a bet or put a deposit in their account in the 24 hours before kick-off. ------------------------ What a wonderful idea. This should open the door for problem gambling addictions to a lot more people.
My cousin founded a company called Mabboo which was one of the first to make bamboo t-shirts, phone cases etc etc. https://mabboo.com/
Obviously replaceable, biodegradable materials offer advantages, but we must also be aware of unexpected consequences. Profitable natural products carry the risk of leading to monoculture where vast areas are cleared for their production resulting in poor biodiversity....an example of this is palm oil farming which is threatening orangutans. Interesting fact alert: vast areas of Spain were turned over to olive oil production by the ancient Romans...still evident today with little mixed farming.
