#suffering with this heatwave that we are going through in the uk | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lovesomehate · 2 years

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Hey! It’s booty shorts Jacob again aka Annie. I’ve come to drop a new au. I hope it’s not too long and it wasn’t cut off or anything. Also, it’s been a little while I popped in. How are you as well? Have you been good? I just got caught up on some assignments. Here’s the au:

(Ryan, Jacob, Chris, and Bobby are around the same age. They’re within three years of each other. Laura is 7 years older then them and a year younger than Travis. Caleb and Kaylee are Travis’ kids. 🤫. Anyway, Hackearney, Chryan, and Jacobby supremacy!!! iPhone items are around because I’m lazy.)

Travis sat in his car hidden by the tall trees in the dark. He angled his car just enough in the tree line, he was bored and damn near ready to 10-7 out of there. He was tired, until a green suv sped past him. He clocked the speed and sighed, “Of course we got some kids speeding.” He flickered on his lights as he passed the route 919 sign. He followed behind them for a few minutes before the car stopped, he pressed on his radio. “Dispatch, 10-28… New York license plate.” He rattled off the numbers, the voice called back. “It’s coming back to a Caleb Kearney… it’s clean.” Kearney brought back painful memories he didn’t want to relive. ‘Family is supposed to be the most important thing in the world to you travis. How do you want to protect us when you won’t leave them? I thought I was your family!’ ‘You are Laura. But those are my parents… I can’t… look just stay and we can talk.’ ‘No, you made your choice. I guess blood is thicker than water. Enjoy your REAL family.’ That argument was stupid. It started for no reason, it was like Laura loved to start with him. They needed an occasional argument but this one was too sensitive. And things happened. Travis opened the door at that and made his way to the car. He could hear hushed whispers in the car, it was two people from what he could see. He stopped by the window.

In the car the young kids jumped briefly, he knocked on the window. The boy rolled it down, “Great night we’re having huh officer?” Travis sighed as he looked at them, “Are you aware of why I stopped you?” The boy looked at the girl who fumbled a bit. “Uh… because you can tell we’re lost?” He gave them an unamused look, “You were speeding. Would you mind telling me why you were going triple digits on a 65?” The boy shrugged at him, “Hey sir, it’s dark and spooky here. We’re camp counselors. We’re just trying to get away from the trees and shit.” Travis clicked his tongue, “License. Both of you.” The girl reached up and pressed the over head light on, she gathered it out of her purse and his wallet. She handed it over. He nodded, “I’ll be right back.”

Travis went to his car and got in, his body was unforgiving to his car. No matter how many times he adjusted the seat. The years has not been good for him. He remembered how he used to roll out of bed unbothered, now he needed a few pep talks, at 43, he should be retired. He clicked his overhead light and paused, “Caleb and Kaylee Kearney. Huh? Kearney… there’s plenty in the world. They’re twins. 22 years old.”

Kaylee shifted in her seat and looked behind them, “That dude is giving me odd vibes. Why was he staring at us like that?” Caleb shrugged at her, “How am I supposed to know. Jeez though, he’s creepy.” She groaned as she looked down, “You think mom is going to notice us here? I mean our lie about cross country was kinda thin.” Caleb scoffed, “She’ll be animals. She’ll be fine.” He shifted in his seat, “Plus, we help the kids. We dig into our background for our father and maybe our moms parents and we’ll go back home before college.” Kaylee nodded, “Sure. Sounds easy.” The cop eventually came back to the window, Caleb jumped again. “Come on dude. You need a bell or something. Your feet doesn’t make a noise.” The cop didn’t say anything, he cut his eyes towards Kaylee. She fidgeted in her chair, her dark eyes locked onto his. “What are you two doing out this late?” Kaylee looked away, “Uh, you know… we’re camp counselors at the Quarry. Hacketts Quarry.” Caleb frowned, “Don’t say Quarry. Quarry is a place where you get minerals out of or extract them is the proper term. It’s a summer camp.” Travis shook his head, “Uh, counselors aren’t expected tonight. Tomorrow morning. Yes. Not tonight. I can point you to a motel to rest in.”

Kaylee looked from him to her phone, it said mom across the screen. She answered it and was speaking to a face but Travis couldn’t see or hear. It wasn’t until he watched her brush some of her hair behind her ear, he seen a headphone. Caleb nodded, “Yeah, we’ll take the motel. She gets cranky like our mom if she’s no where on time but I could use some rest.” Travis nodded, he watched Kaylee end the call because her attention was back on them. Both the children looked vaguely familiar, yet he couldn’t place them. They’re too young to be related to any Kearney he knows and the oldest ones are dead. They died young. The one that grew up with him, Laura, he doesn’t think they could be directly related. But Caleb’s blue eyes are something that can’t be ignored. Same way Kaylee’s dark eyes seem familiar.

He cleared his throat when he realized he was just staring. “Uh, I’m letting you go… just… be careful. If you two follow the road, it will be the next right to the Harbinger Motel. Okay?” Caleb and Kaylee both nodded and watched him slowly walk away from the car. “What did mom want?” Kaylee shrugged, “Wanted to know if we got here yet and how she’s disappointed that she learned we were coming out here from uncle Ryan.” Caleb groaned, “Man uncle Ryan can’t hold water!!! He’s always telling on us!” Kaylee looked at her phone, “Should we turn our location on just in case?” Caleb nodded, “Mom already knows we’re here. It’s only right. And let’s get a room too. I’m tired.”

Kaylee looked over at her phone, she groaned, “Ugh. This guy. Caleb your step dad is calling.” Caleb looked down, “Max is your stepdad. I’d rather find out who our real dad is. Mom went to school here. We just find uncle Jacob and uncle Ryan and we crack the code.” Kaylee finally answered the FaceTime and pulled her airpod from her ear. “Hi, Max.” He grinned, “Hey kiddos. Did you make it safe? Do you need money? Did you get stopped? You weren’t speeding were you? What cop stopped you?” Caleb started to squeeze and crunch an old chip bag in one of his hands, “Uh oh. The connection… I can’t hear you- oh no.” Kaylee clicked the end button before she laughed, “You’re a bully.” Caleb laughed too, “Yeah, we need to get mom and our real dad back together. This guy? He sucks Kaylee… he’s so nonchalant. He doesn’t push mom. He gets pushed over. I know whoever dad is… he has to be like perfect or something.” Kaylee nodded, “I mean, yeah, mom talks about the guy a lot. How many people do you think remember them being together?” Caleb looked up at the motel they were nearing, “The Harbinger… sounds like a murderer stays here.” Kaylee laughed, “You’re stupid. Come on. Let’s get our room.”

Laura paced her bedroom, she ran her hands down her face. “Laura, you’re being over dramatic-“ She whipped around, “Max! Shut up! I let them go cross country to California! Why are they in North Kill huh? Why’d they stop at the Harbinger motel?” Max shrugged at her, she sighed, “They’re going to meet him. Or he’s going to meet them.” Max reached for her hand, “You shouldn’t care. We’re together now…” Laura looked down at him, “Max… do you realize I still love him. We had plans. We planned our lives out with each other. I chose that college because it was near his police academy! I never even told him I was pregnant. He must think I’m a bitch for withholding information.” Max shook his head, “You did what you thought was best for you.” Laura pulled her hand free from him, “No! I wanted him to choose between his family and me because he loved me! Not because I was giving him kids. But no, Constance and Jedediah get sick and he has to stay to take care of him. Ugh…” She sat down on the bed, Max looked at her, his eyes were sad. She groaned, “Look, I know I keep putting off what we are… Max… I’m sorry for all of this coming out now. But I couldn’t be alone with my thoughts. I couldn’t be alone with my guilt.” He stood up and looked at her, he cross his arms as his eyes flamed. “I stayed with you for over 10 years. I thought things might bloom. But it was like we were best friends raising some kids. I loved them like they were my own… this… Laura maybe you are selfish. Maybe if you do show your face, he wouldn’t want you back. I want you know that you’ll deserve it.” When he left the room, she heard the front door slam shut. She was alone with her thoughts. Her thoughts on how she inadvertently messed up both relationships.

Chris smiled as he looked at the counselors, Nick, Emma, Abigail, Caleb, Kaylee, Kaitlyn, Dylan, and Silas stood in front of him. “Hacketteers welcome!” Caleb rolled his eyes and looked at Kaylee, she looked up at Chris. They’ve technically grew up knowing him, he was their uncle through their uncle Ryan. They just didn’t know how close their family was in actuality. “Alright, Caleb, Sports Coordinator.” Caleb nodded, “Kaylee, nurses station.” He went on to assign the rest of the counselors. Nick was the cook. Emma was doing theater. Abigail was art. Kaitlyn was the activities coordinator. Dylan was announcements. And Silas was activities assistant and sailing coordinator. Everyone was chatting and talking, Caleb looked at Kaylee, “I’m going down to the town… go get some snacks. And adult stuff.” Silas cut his eyes at him, “Mind if I come?” Caleb shrugged, “Shit, more hands to carry stuff.”

Constance held onto Jedediah’s forearm as they walked out the market. She went stiff when she seen Travis coming towards them, only it wasn’t their son. The blue eyes told her everything she needed to know. “Oh my Heavens… Jed… do you…” He nodded, “I do. Is he… is that our boys son?” She swallowed, “No, because Travis would’ve told us. He and the girl, they broke up. What was her name?” Jed shifted his weight to hold them, “Uh, Lucy? I can’t remember… it was years ago… the Kearneys… they’re dead. They’ve been gone for awhile. Their house is still boarded up down the road.” Caleb got closer as a plastic bag fell, he kneeled to gather the groceries, “Hey, here. I don’t think you guys need your produce bruised up.” Constance looked at him like she seen a ghost, especially the goofy way he smiled. It looked like their son, but their son was void of any humor. Any light. His dark eyes looked haunted ever since the girl left. Their relationship strained but he wouldn’t admit to it. Constance knows, she knows he blames them. But they had Chris and Bobby, he made it his choice to stay with them. He had someone worth fighting for but he- “Ma’am… are you alright?” She coughed and Jed looked down at her with a warning in his eyes, “I’m fine. Thank you young man. For help.” Caleb nodded, he had the goofy grin again, “Hey, you know, it’s always good to help. Mom raised me and my sister to help people. Just like family. All you have is family. They’re the most important thing in the world.” Silas was in the background, Jedediah narrowed his eyes at the boy just slinking about. “Erm, that’s great! Sounds like your mom is a nice woman… uh, bye.” He pulled on his wife, she finally took her eyes off Caleb and looked at Silas. The boy looked familiar. But she couldn’t linger. Silas whistled a funny tune, “That old woman recognized you.” Caleb scoffed, “I’ve never seen her a day in my life. Anyway, you a beer or a liquor guy?” Silas frowned, “Uh, neither. Mother doesn’t let me drink…” Caleb frowned, “Lame. I’ll get both… you can never go wrong with with too much alcohol.”

Chris held his face in his hands, Ryan scratched his head, “Uh, you mean to tell me you guys don’t know that Caleb and Kaylee is Travis’ kids?” Chris looked up, “No! Travis didn’t tell us! And how was I supposed to know! There’s like Kearneys all over the world!” Ryan sighed, “No, your big brother made his choice. And I guess Laura made hers.” Chris moved his hand to his mouth he bit down on his knuckle, he immediately paused. “Travis doesn’t know does he?” Ryan cringed and Chris groaned, “Oh god! I know now! I can’t lie to him! He’s going to kick my ass because he’s going to think I’ve known! What the fuck Ryan!” Ryan shrugged at him, “Jacob knows! Why are you yelling at me?” Chris sighed and stood up, he pressed a kiss to Ryan’s lips, “I will be buried alive when Travis finds out. Make sure my funeral is lively… don’t let him just leave me in a hole. Invite people.” Ryan rolled his eyes, “Now you’re overreacting.”

Caleb found Kaylee on the side of the road, she was on someone’s porch peering in through slats of wood. Silas looked over, “Isn’t that your sister?” Caleb was already unbuckling his seatbelt, “Regretfully. Here, I’ll be back.” He got out the car and ran up to the porch, “Kay, what are you doing?” She looked over her shoulder, “This is the old Kearney house. I thought we’d at least meet some grandparents. I guess not. The phone book had this address in it.” Caleb grabbed her bookbag and slung it over his shoulder, “Jeez. You lugged this all the way here? This weighs as much as you.” Kaylee shoved him, “I found out from uncle Ryan before he stopped talking, our fathers name is Travis. I think it starts with an ‘H’. He made a ‘ha’ noise before running and locking himself in the room with uncle Chris. If you take me to the library before the kids get here tomorrow I think we can google.” Caleb nodded, Kaylee followed him to the suv and climbed in. She looked at the bags, “You do realize we’re going to have to hide the beers and liquor. We’re around kids.” Caleb nodded, “We’ll party when they’re asleep.” Silas shyly smiled at Kaylee, she smiled back, “You’re quiet and observing Silas. You should liven up a little. It’s camp.” He shrugged to himself, “Mother didn’t want me to make noise unless it was howls and growls for some extra money.” Caleb looked in the rear view mirror, she caught his look. It read, he’s been saying shit like this the whole ride. Please stop it. She nodded, “Well your moms not here.”

Jacob and Bobby covered for Caleb and Kaylee without knowing it. They were just up there talking with Chris when Ryan noticed they were missing. Kaylee signed in to use a computer, Caleb looked over her shoulder as she typed. “Okay, Travis Haack.” Kaylee hummed, “Died as a baby. Next.” Caleb tilted his head, “Travis Haag?” Kaylee clicked around, “In prison longer than we’ve been alive… longer than mom has been alive.” Caleb ran his finger down the line, “Travis Habecker.” Kaylee looked at the screen, “He died by drowning… in 1970.” Caleb stopped at a name, he hummed, “This is familiar… Travis Hackett. Uncle Chris’ and Bobby’s last name.” Kaylee shrugged and typed the name in. “Oh… he’s the sheriff-“ Caleb pushed her aside, “That was totally the creep that pulled us over… see if you see a yearbook. He probably went to school with mom.” Kaylee found one and clicked on it, “Class of 1983… but mom was a junior. I found Kearney…” LAURA KEARNEY, JUNIOR. They zoomed into their mothers smiling face, she had huge hair. They couldn’t stop laughing. The librarian sent them several looks. “Okay… Caleb you have moms eyes… and her smile. But you don’t look like her. I do.” Caleb nodded, “You probably have dads coloring. I mean, aside from the blonde hair. I have to have his hair.” Kaylee searched and found TRAVIS HACKETT, SENIOR. Kaylee’s jaw dropped, “Caleb. That’s you. That’s you if you wore glasses. That whole awkward face you make… Eww our dad is a creepy cop.” Caleb rolled his eyes, he looked down as he studied the image. “Wait. Do you think that’s why he let us go? Wow. He missed 22 birthdays and said, hey I’ll let them off with a warning.” Kaylee looked at Caleb, her brother was a hot head and quick to get in any emotional distress. She knew he was going to be beat up over this. Especially because their mother raised them with family in mind. “Come on, let’s cool down before we go back.”

Laura’s hands gripped her steering wheel as she sped down the street. She passed the Route 919 sign on her right. She needed to explain it to her children, she can’t let them find out. But judging by Caleb’s text ominous text, ‘Thanks for everything mom.’ They definitely know who their father is. “Shit! Fuck! God dammit!” She was nearing familiar territory when blue and red lights flickered on behind her car. “UGHHHHHH!!!!” She couldn’t see who was in the car, but god, if it was Travis she could keep going. She wouldn’t stop. She didn’t care. But if it wasn’t… she finally slowed down and pulled over. Laura brushed her blonde flyaways from her face and finger combed her hair. The officer was not Travis at all. It was some young kid that had a pimple sprouting on the top of his nose. She beat her hands against the wheel, this was going to take forever. “Good evening ma’am-“ Laura cut him off, “Look. Give me your sheriff. Your supervisor. Whoever. Get me Travis Hackett.” The young officer called out on the radio, she couldn’t hear Travis’ voice. But she knew he had to be irritated. The call was short. But she didn’t know how police radios worked.

Travis pulled up behind one of the older police cars and walked to the officer on scene. “Meyers. Why am I here?” He rested his hands on his hips, “The lady called you by name sir. But, she was clocked at going 125 down here heading towards the Quarry summer camp.” Travis ran a hand through his hair as he tried to incline his head to see who was in the car, “The lady… is she blonde? Does she have blue eyes-“ Meyers nodded, “Yep. She’s uh, beautiful. I mean… I don’t have her license…” Travis leveled him with a look, “That woman is a mother. And I don’t think a child is her type. You can go Meyers. I can take care of this.” Travis cupped his hand over his mouth and breathed out, he sniffed before he straightened his uniform and fixed his hair. He rested his large hand on his gun while he walked towards the car, he felt shell shocked when he locked eyes with Laura. She froze too. It’s been 22 years. It was one argument. It was one little fight and that resulted in them separating. But god, the connection was still strong because they both stared at each other and just stayed like that. No one uttered a word. “Ma’am… you do know you were clocked at 125?” Laura rolled her eyes and smiled, “You do know I don’t care right. I have to fix something.” Travis leaned against the car window, all propriety was out in the open. “Fix what? And don’t get bratty with me, I’ll take you down to the station.” It was easy between them, it could never be like this with her and Max. She felt the words roll off her tongue, “I bet you wish you could have me handcuffed at the station… you’re a naughty sheriff or something?” He couldn’t help the slight smirk, “Maybe only for you…” It’s like their argument hadn’t happened. It’s like them being separated never happened. It’s like they just got out of high school. Like no time passed, but Travis straightened up and felt his back crack all the way up to his neck and realized he was still old. “You didn’t say what you were going to fix…” Laura reached out and grabbed his hand, he laced their fingers together. “Why don’t you hate me… you know. I know you know. You know because I know you’re not stupid. You know?” He looked down at her as he clicked his tongue off his teeth, “Because I made the choice. I had to keep my family out the well but I left you stranded at the bottom… I wasn’t thinking.” Laura looked at him with sad eyes, “I wasn’t thinking. My parents died and… and I just didn’t want to lose you too and I did by making you choose.” He shook his head, “You never lost me. I uh… there’s been nobody else Laura. I pushed everyone away. Hell, my relationship with the family took a nosedive when you left. I worked and worked and look, Sheriff of North Kill.” She smiled, “I have my own animal hospital downtown, Kearneys Klinic.” He reached down to fix a strand of hair, it was a force of habit. When they were younger, he didn’t want her eyes covered by anything. “You know your son drives like you?” Laura laughed, “Oh, he does? Did he get out a ticket like me?” Travis shook his head, “He sounded like a smart ass. Your daughter was just as quippy as you were though.” Laura sighed and looked over, “Why don’t I park my car at your house and you take me to the Quarry?” He looked at the watch on his right wrist, “It’s 2 in the morning… why don’t you get some rest?” Laura nodded and unloosened their fingers, “Well, guess I’m sleeping at your place too.” He snorted as he stood up, “Yeah… uh, I’m not trying to be a homewrecker Laura. If you’re happy-“ She reached out for his tie and pulled him down to her head level, he tried to swallow to keep from choking. She glared at him with flamed eyes, “It was never a home to begin with without you Travis. And there was somebody but he wasn’t you… I missed you.” She pressed her lips to his but pulled away just as fast, “Lead me to your house. I’m tired and I haven’t had a decent nights sleep since I left all those years ago.”

Caleb frowned at Laura, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Kaylee cringed as she looked at the man in a flannel and dirty jeans. Jacob and Bobby were making busy like they were cleaning the bar but they were trying to eavesdrop, “Oh no, Jacob. This glass fell.” He pushed it off the bar. Jacob cleared his throat, “I’ll get that for you Bobby. Don’t you worry.” Travis wanted to yell at them but this was as private as they could get. “So…? Uh…” Laura closed her eyes to breathe deeply, “Children. Your father and I loved each other like a lot. But he had duties and I had duties and I was hoping to like tell you guys sooner. First of all, I didn’t know you were offered a summer camp job. I would’ve said no. But, look, travis is your dad. And I’m sorry you didn’t know it sooner.” Caleb glared hard until a grin popped on his face, “When you said I was handsome like my father… you lied?” Kaylee giggled and looked away. Laura scowled, “Your father was hot. He was peak hotness when I was at school. Yeah, he wore glasses but he didn’t have acne or braces.” Kaylee nodded, “No, because you had the braces mom. We took pictures of your yearbook pictures. 1983 what a time to be alive.” Jacob snorted and Travis looked back, both he and Bobby ducked behind the bar. Travis sighed, “Look, I can’t erase 22 years of me missing from your lives but I can try to be there for the next 22.” Caleb raised his eyebrows, “How do you know you’ll live that long?” Travis rubbed the back of his neck, “My parents are still alive.” Laura looked at him, “Still?” The kids noticed she said it like she was surprised. “I thought they were sick?” Travis shrugged, “Yeah, they were. They started to hate this woman from some odd sideshow and I guess hate keeps them alive. She had a ‘dog boy’ it’s some kid that makes like wolf noises for money. He’s albino and kinda freaky looking. I had to shut down the attraction a few times in the past.” Kaylee looked at him, “Holy shit! Silas? He’s a counselor. His mom doesn’t let him live. Like Caleb destroys his liver on a nightly basis and that kid won’t even sniff a beer bottle.” Laura arched her brow at Caleb, Bobby spoke, “He gets it from Travis. We seen the old aged whiskey in his car. Real top shelf product-“ Travis cleared his throat, “Leave.”

Everyone was surprised at the way the family showed up to the Hackett house. Constance fell in love with Kaylee, it was probably because there was never girls around. She was excited to meet her. Jedediah was talking about how he knew Caleb had to be his. Laura thought things would be awkward, she didn’t tell them or him about their extended family. Instead everyone welcomed them with open arms, even Constance’s judgy face never showed up once. When Laura got pulled in a hug she knew the older Hacketts had to be replaced. Constance used to say she was never enough for Travis, but here she is getting a hug from the surely woman. Laura looked over at Travis, “If I ask you now… would you leave?” He shook his head, “North Kill has always been our home… it’s my turn to ask you… would you leave?” Laura looked at how excited and talkative everyone was. Jacob and Bobby were sitting by Constance hearing about Kaylee’s future dreams. Ryan and Chris were with Jedediah and Caleb, the sports talk and science talk had them interested. “Honestly… the city has been a little too loud for me lately. I think a change of scenery could do me good. And, you guys have a lot of animals that need help.”

The end. Travis and Laura get together and stay in North Kill. Laura finds out he bought her a ring all those years ago, she demands he marry her now definitely or she’ll leave again. He does. Half of the town show up. Chris stays running the Quarry. Kaylee actually became a reoccurring counselor because she loves kids. Silas was able to live a little by being friends with Kaylee, she begged her father to look into the obviously illegal practices that Eliza ran. Travis arrested the woman for abuse, private property damage, among other things. Ryan’s animated pilot for Hacketteers’ Nightmares gets the green light. The first season is about werewolves. Jacob and Bobby stays in all the town gossip because of sportsbar and people are drunk when they talk to them. Caleb dropped science and just took up football, after all he had an arm on him. Max moved on but old memories hurt when he seen Caleb being drafted on tv and seen Kaylee, Travis, and Laura behind him. Travis and Laura were wearing matching rings and looked genuinely happy. And he was oddly, happy for her.

That was a whole ass trip gjsnfnsnfnsbfn Booty Shorts Jacob you never disappoints. This was soooo good 😂 I love the idea of everyone that knew young Travis taking a look at Caleb and being like “yep that one belongs to Travis for sure” 😂😂😂

Laura and Travis being that one couple from school that everyone knew would end up married. Well they weren’t wrong, just took them 22 years to do it😂😂😂😂

I’m going to be thinking about this au for a while now 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

#ask #anon #travisxlaura #oh yeah I forgot to say #I’m good #suffering with this heatwave that we are going through in the uk #but good

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foxboybutch · 2 years

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Heatwaves are always deadly in the UK - because we don’t have the systems in place to deal with this level of unusual heat - but this one is going to be worse. Many houses in the UK don’t have AC (which is a part of why we struggle with heatwaves in general) but some do, and many others have electric fans or similar devices. Fans and AC (for those who have it) are hugely important in getting through this kind of weather.

The cost of energy is soaring right now and people can barely afford to eat - who is going to run their fans or AC in this economy? I honestly believe this heatwave will have one of the worst death tolls in at least recent years.

Also, Americans of the internet, please refrain from making fun of people who are dying or suffering health issues due to the 30-40 degree Celsius heat just because you’re used to it hotter. It wasn’t funny last year, or the year before that, and it isn’t funny now.

#uk heatwave #if any american adds some dumbass 'brits arent people' joke on this post I Will Kill You

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angryschnauzer · 4 years

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An update for Chez Schnauz. (don’t @ me for any of this please)

As you know i’m always very open about my life, and whats going on, and want to share a update so you can understand why i may miss your tag.

First up; Little Dude (my 5 1/2 year old son). He’s currently fighting a kidney infection, which is incredibly stressful for him and us. He was due to go for ADHD testing this April, but because of covid it was all cancelled. Throughout lockdown in the UK his condition worsened and me and hubby have had to learn very quickly how to work with Little Dude when he has an episode. He despises change and for him food is a big thing, and he only likes certain foods. A couple of weeks ago LD suddenly started to wet the bed at night, which was very unusual because he had happily been toilet trained for well over 2 years and was pretty much always dry at night. At first we thought it was just down to the heatwave and how we were asking him to drink lots because of the 36C temperatures, but the heatwave broke and it was still happening. So we took him to the doctors and they found Glucose and Protein in his urine. Multiple tests later including a pinprick test for diabetes we thankfully ruled that out, and that there is no blood in the urine (plus no pain), we have been instructed to drastically change his diet... which is so incredibly hard because he has found comfort in his selected foods, and by changing it we have to be careful how we do it because of his ADHD and we don’t want to trigger him. So its meant lots of trips to health food shops to try and find kid friendly alternatives. I also am hyper aware of anything that could trigger a eating disorder as my own ED developed when i was around 6 years old.

Next up me; I’ve mentioned before about my distain for the NHS and how they are completely biased against people who are overweight. I’ve been asking for blood tests to get my hormones checked for EIGHT YEARS. Every time i ask i get refused. I get told that whatever my ailment (overweight, tiredness, nausea...) it’s caused by being overweight and they refuse to give me any tests. No amount of explaining that i have at most 1500 calories a day, that i have dieted my entire life, that i have PCOS, my mum has had her thyroid removed at age 40 (same age i am now), but still every request for testing is refused. I know a lot of people say ‘find another doctor’ but with the NHS that isn’t an option. You can’t skip the process and go straight to an endocrinologist (if thats the right word), you can’t swap GP practices unless you move house, and even then you will get the same answer. Private healthcare is almost non existant, and is VERY expensive (yes on par with USA). My husband has some private healthcare through his work but they are being very slow in confirming if i can persue this avenue with them. So at the moment i am stuck in limbo, suffering from fatigue, back ache due to my weight, and that i am gaining 2lbs/1kg a month without increasing my calorie intake. I still exercise as much as i can, but simply by the fact i am gaining weight without knowing why, exercise is starting to become difficult and is in turn causing issues like back pain. I am in a vicious cycle where the doctors insist the weight is the cause of my issues, and will not test me so they don’t have to accept that its the affect of a more serious condition.

On top of all that i also have Aspergers. I was diagnosed when i was 38, or more to the point i was re-diagnosed at 38, my original diagnosis was when i was 8 years old which my parents ignored as back in the 1980s if you had a child with autism they were stupid... and thus i had to deal with school and life thinking i was stupid and weird, when in fact i should have had support. So anyway, a huge part of my condition is that i get noise sensitive, so on top of all the stresses of this year, add in that my child is dealing with ADHD which means he is loud and talks the entire time he is awake, and i have no escape from it, i find myself wanting to shut myself in a dark silent room just to escape the chaos in my head. I don’t get time to decompress my mind in order to write or work or just think, so my writing is suffering, and that is usually a big escape for me. I can’t concentrate on anything during my son’s waking hours, he needs to be with someone (in the same room as him) whenever he is awake, so its at the point where i can’t even go to the bathroom on my own, if i pick up my phone he’s on me asking 100 questions, to the point i really don’t have the energy to explain who everyone is on tumblr/facebook, what i’m doing, and its to the point i can’t concentrate. Tags get missed, and that’s when tumblr even does give me a notification.

And yes we are very much looking forward to when he goes back to school. Yes i will be sending him, we are in the UK and at present our infection rate/death rate is dropping daily, there have been no cases in our county for a month. When there are cases and towns become hotspots, they go into local lockdown. The school has everything planned out and will be social distancing and there is no mixing between his class and other classes. Each class has its own arrival and pick up time so parents can’t mix between groups. Little Dude needs the interaction with other children, and the trained support from his teacher, where we can finally get some guidance on his ADHD.

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toughgirlchallenges · 4 years

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Megan Al-Ghailani - Youngest woman to run from John O’Groats to Lands End (JOGLE) completely solo and unsupported.

Megan is a runner, writer and adventurer from Manchester, UK.

Megan in her own words:

“I’m a relentless optimist who always tries to say yes to living life to the fullest. I was born hearing impaired, I am completely deaf in my left ear and partially hearing impaired in my right ear.

In 2018, during one of the hottest heatwaves Britain has ever had, I ran from John O’Groats to Land’s End completely unsupported, becoming the youngest woman to do so. I covered around 1000 miles in 40 days and I’m now writing a book about it.

I believe in being good and kind, I believe in saying yes and I believe in the power of positivity.”

New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.

The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.

*Please note during this episode we do talk about mental health, trauma, & PTSD.

Show notes

Moving to the Peak District, UK

Growing up in Manchester

Not really being that into sports at school

Going to University in Wales

Falling in love with the outdoors

Stepping outside her comfort zone

Getting to know new people

Getting into running

Signing up for the Manchester 10 Km

Suffering a bad ankle injury

Going through a difficult break-up

Getting back into running after university

Signing up to the Chester half marathon and the Manchester Marathon

Loving running and deciding to run across the country

Enjoying the process of running

Deciding to run from John O’Groats to Lands End - the length of the UK

The strategy for the run and wanting to camp at the start

Figuring out the accommodation for the route

Wanting to follow trails and try to avoid the roads as much as possible

Feeling excited during the planning stage

When reality for the challenge hit and starting to feel overwhelmed

Reaction from friends and family

Being hearing impaired and not being able to hear out of her left ear

Fears and concerns before the run

Being focused and dedicated to the challenge

The start line! The top of the UK at John O’Groats

Running with a hearing impairment

The physical, mental and emotional challenges of the run

Dealing with her period on the run

The challenges of doing it solo and being alone

A challenging day down in Cornwall

Keeping the motivation going during dark times

Letting things go and staying in the present

Managing her period during the challenge

The financial costs involved

How the run has changed things afterwards

Dealing with trauma and an iron deficiency

Writing about the challenge and the struggles involved

Final words of advice

Check out this episode!

#podcast #women #sports #health #motivation #challenges #change #adventure #active #wellness #explore #grow #support #encourage #running #swimming #triathlon #exercise #weights

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thegrandimago · 5 years

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Experts concerned young people’s mental health particularly hit by reality of the climate crisis

Over the past few weeks Clover Hogan has found herself crying during the day and waking up at night gripped by panic. The 20-year-old, who now lives in London, grew up in Queensland, Australia, cheek by jowl with the country’s wildlife, fishing frogs out of the toilet and dodging snakes hanging from the ceiling.

The bushfires ravaging her homeland over the past few weeks have taken their toll. “I’ve found myself bursting into tears … just seeing the absolutely harrowing images of what’s happening in Australia – it is overwhelming and terrifying.”

Hogan said her lowest point came when she heard about the death of half a billion animals incinerated as the fires swept through the bush. “That was the moment where I felt my heart cleave into two pieces. I felt absolutely distraught.”

The physical impact of the climate crisis is impossible to ignore, but experts are becoming increasingly concerned about another, less obvious consequence of the escalating emergency – the strain it is putting on people’s mental wellbeing, especially the young.

Psychologists warn that the impact can be debilitating for the growing number of people overwhelmed by the scientific reality of ecological breakdown and for those who have lived through traumatic climate events, often on the climate frontline in the global south.

Until two years ago Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams, a clinical psychologist from Oxford, had spent his career treating common mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression and trauma. Then something new started to happen. Climate scientists and researchers working in Oxford began to approach him asking for help.

“These were people who were essentially facing a barrage of negative information and downward trends in their work … and the more they engaged with the issue, the more they realised what needed to be done – and the more they felt that was bigger than their capacity to enact meaningful change,” he said. “The consequences of this can be pretty dire – anxiety, burnout and a sort of professional paralysis.”

Kennedy-Williams began to research the topic and realised it was not just scientists and researchers who were suffering. “There is a huge need among parents, for instance, who are asking for support on how to talk to their kids about this.”

When Kennedy-Williams began focusing on young people he assumed most would be older teenagers or at least have started secondary school. But he soon discovered worrying levels of environment-related stress and anxiety in much younger children.

“What I was most surprised by is how young the awareness and anxiety starts. My own daughter was just six when she came to me and said: ‘Daddy, are we winning the war against climate change?’ and I was just flummoxed by that question in the moment. It really showed me the importance as a parent of being prepared for the conversation, so we can respond in a helpful way.”

He says there is no way to completely shield young people from the reality of the climate crisis, and argues that would be counterproductive even if it were possible. Rather, parents should talk to their children about their concerns and help them feel empowered to take action – however small – that can make a difference.

A key moment for Kennedy-Williams came with the realisation that tackling “climate anxiety” and tackling the climate crisis were intrinsically linked.

“The positive thing from our perspective as psychologists is that we soon realised the cure to climate anxiety is the same as the cure for climate change – action. It is about getting out and doing something that helps.

“Record and celebrate the changes you make. Nobody is too small. Make connections with other people and at the same time realise that you are not going to cure this problem on your own. This isn’t all on you and it’s not sustainable to be working on solving climate change 24/7.”

This certainly resonates with Hogan, who has set up Force of Nature, an initiative aimed at helping young people realise their potential to create change.

Hogan’s group aims to target people aged 11-24 with a crash course in the climate crisis that helps them navigate their anxiety and realise their potential to get involved, take action and make a stand.

“This is only the beginning,” said Hogan. “We’re going to see massive, massive widespread climate crisis in every country around the world, so it’s about developing the emotional resilience to carry on, but in a way that ignites really dramatic individual initiative.”

Beyond climate anxiety – the fear that the current system is pushing the Earth beyond its ecological limits – experts are also warning of a sharp rise in trauma caused by the experience of climate-related disasters.

In the global south, increasingly intense storms, wildfires, droughts and heatwaves have left their mark not just physically but also on the mental wellbeing of millions of people.

For Elizabeth Wathuti, a climate activist from Kenya, her experience of climate anxiety is not so much about the future but what is happening now. “People in African countries experience eco-anxiety differently because climate change for us is about the impacts that we are already experiencing now and the possibilities of the situation getting worse,” she said.

She works with young people through the Green Generation Initiative she founded and sees the effects of eco-anxiety first-hand. A common worry she hears among students is: “We won’t die of old age, we’ll die from climate change.”

Extreme climate events can create poverty, which exacerbates mental health problems, and Wathuti says she has seen stress, depression and alcohol and drug abuse as some of the side-effects of climate anxiety and trauma in her country.

Even in the UK, a recent study by the Environment Agency found that people who experience extreme weather such as storms or flooding are 50% more likely to suffer from mental health problems, including stress and depression, for years afterwards.

More than 1,000 clinical psychologists have signed an open letter highlighting the impact of the crisis on people’s wellbeing and predicting “acute trauma on a global scale in response to extreme weather events, forced migration and conflict”.

Kaaren Knight, a clinical psychologist who coordinated the letter, said: “The physical impacts related to extreme weather, food shortages and conflict are intertwined with the additional burden of mental health impacts and it is these psychologists are particularly concerned about.”

She added that fear and trauma “significantly reduced psychological wellbeing”, particularly in children. “This is of huge concern to us and needs to be part of the conversation when we talk about climate breakdown.”

One of the high-profile signatories of the letter, Prof Mike Wang, the chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists UK, said: “Inaction and complacency are the privileges of yesterday … Psychologists are ready and willing to help countries protect the health and wellbeing of their citizens given the inevitable social and psychological consequences of climate change.”

This rallying of the psychological profession around the climate crisis has led to experts around the world forming groups to research and treat the growing number of people caught up in the unfolding crisis, attempting to help them move from fear and paralysis towards action.

But even for those who are following this advice, the scale of the emergency is taking its toll. Kennedy Williams – who has set up his own group, Climate Psychologists, specialising in climate anxiety – said he and his colleagues were not immune from the psychological impacts of the crisis.

“This is such a universal thing that [we] have all been through our own set of climate-related grief and despair, and we talk about riding the wave between hope and despair … it is absolutely as real for us as it is for anyone else.”

Advice for parents

Remember that you do not need to be a climate expert It’s OK to explore learning together. If your child asks a question you can’t answer immediately, respond by saying: “What a great question. Let me look into that so I can answer it properly.”

Try to validate, rather than minimise, children’s emotions If children express anxiety, it’s much better to say: “It’s OK to feel worried. Here is what we can do about it,” than to say: “Don’t worry. It’s all fine.” But always try to support this emotion with suggestions for positive action.

Negative information hits harder Bad or threatening facts tend to resonate more strongly – and therefore stick in the mind. So try to balance one piece of negative news with three pieces of positive news. Have some examples of good climate-related news ready – for example, successful conservation projects.

For younger children, keep it local and tangible Suggest litter picks and school events. For teenagers, encourage them to stay connected at a wider level – help them write to their MP, take part in protests and join local communities and campaigns.

Set practical goals as a family and follow through Record and celebrate your climate successes together (even a piece of paper on the fridge door). Reinforce the message that small actions can make a big difference.

#science #climate change #environment #psychology #anxitey #climate crisis #climate #climate change anxiety

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newluddite · 2 years

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Dry days.

The ability to deny and avoid awareness of large events is a common tendency of many people. Millions deny global warming and climate change. Nothing will shake them from the conspiracy of lies. They consider the true story a conspiracy by dark forces to get control by some unknown means. Just another reason to store cans of food and guns in isolated cabins.

But the news is full of things that shove it right in the face. Las Vegas should not exist for any good reason other than it is there already. It was created in support of the depression era make work project of damming the Colorado River. That dam created Lake Meade which supplied water for the golf courses and electricity for the light shows on the strip. Other places too of course.

Something like 44 million people all the way out to California depend on that lake for water for drinking and agriculture. Those farms feed even more people. That lake is drying up. It is lower now since the level in 1935. The level is almost low enough to stop the flow of water downstream. The area upstream has been in drought for a couple decades. Snowfall in Colorado is low. Rainfall on the west of the continental divide is pathetic. This is not a temporary thing.

Americans are distracted by the discovery of Mob killings that were never going to be found. Photos of shipwrecks and even a world war 2 bomber are appearing. Recreational boaters need longer ramps to put their toys in the water. Some people think it is kinda funny. Looming over it all is the distinct possibility that water flow out of the dam will stop as it is too low to get through the channels. If the river goes dry people will suffer. Really suffer.

In Europe the Rhine River is very low. Also due to drought conditions across the continent. Aside from tourism it is a major shipping route for freight. Ironically one of the commodities that may be stranded high and dry is bulk coal. Coal is used to fuel power plants that were running on Russian gas but can't get that now due to a war. The coal that helped drive climate change in the first place.

In France and in England rivers are also running low. Glaciers that feed the larger French rivers are going away. Rainfall is far less in the UK, but they are enjoying the sunny weather I guess. News is thin coming out of Asia, but I suspect this dryness is global. The band of desert like conditions is moving North.

Forest Fires are much more common now. That is the first step of forests changing to grasslands. Grasslands then become deserts.

Canada is having heatwaves. The climate of Alberta is looking like New Mexico in parts.

Climate change has been portrayed as sea level rising and stuff like that. Florida may get much smaller. But if the Midwest cannot produce as much grain will people go hungry? If California cannot grow vegetables how will that impact the grocery stores.

In my home of British Columbia the winter is rainy so water still fills our reservoirs, for now. We have huge greenhouses that grow Tomatoes and cucumbers and the like in the dark days of winter. I drive by large fields of corn and potatoes going to work. That is not really enough to feed our metropolitan area let alone half the country. Our area is relatively small and it has flooded from time to time. The sea level will have an effect here.

Welcome to the future.

#lake meade #climate change #coal #drought #forest fires

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jewelsunrays · 2 years

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On Saturday I went for a bra fitting. I was kinda nervous, I thought standing there in my bra (crop top) would be really intimidating and I’d get body conscious. Especially considering what a late bloomer I am and that I’d never actually worn bras until that fitting. It went considerably better than expected though, but I did get confused on how much eye contact is appropriate to give to the woman who is gesturing to your boobs and her own boobs and discussing boobs and so on and so forth.

We got a Taco Bell after. There are only about 30 Taco Bells in the UK as opposed to hundreds, maybe a thousand?, McDonalds and such, so I really wanted to take the opportunity to try what I’d heard many people praise highly. It was good, but kinda mid. The way everyone claimed it to be great but it was just like something I could easily throw together at home but better was unfortunate but I’d still eat it again to be honest.

Then we went shopping. Growing up (by growing up I mean any time before 2020 where I feel all my life experiences and childhood truly ended) I’d never been a fan of shopping especially a shopping spree for hours as I’d get easily overwhelmed in changing rooms, with all the crowds and the noise, the heat and the ache of my feet. But in recent times I’ve learnt to tune out the negative in order to gather these life experiences even with all the bad mingled in, as I’ve ruined many moments that could’ve been formative experiences and great stories in the future by simply focusing on the negative and hiding in a corner and just spending my whole time trying to leave. Thats not really a way to live a life, so I tried my best to stay upbeat all day.

I’ve really been into brighter colours recently, so I bought some nice new tops, and a skirt for the first time ever. I also bought a dress but the skirt doesn’t suit my figure and makes my legs look bad, so I’ll perhaps have to get one with a skirt that flares out more like the skirt. I really went outside my comfort zone that day - a bra fitting, trying new food and drinks (that strawberry + mango ice drink was amazing), buying clothes that I’d probably be scared to wear or buy two years ago. I really hope I can keep this up! I also bought some bras, some earrings, a lacy grey matching pyjama set and I almost forgot but it just hit me as I was writing - the cutest converse trainers ever! They were like normal black high-top Converse but with pretty pastel flowers embroidered into the side and a pastel purple sole. I think I got emotional seeing them in the store and realising I could wear them.

So that was truly the first time I’d ever enjoyed shopping even though my mum’s bank account is probably suffering. I can’t wait for the opportunity to wear my new clothes, hopefully at Wetherspoons this Sunday if mum keeps to her word? I suppose she’ll forget though lmao.

Right now there is the most atrocious heatwave imaginable in the UK. It reached 34°C today, what a sick joke. And my friends from other countries are like ‘um damn ok’ and don’t really understand that - according to people that have actually been abroad - UK heat is just the absolute worst, we’re not built for this. Neither the cities or the houses or the people are built for this. My younger brother is staying off school because my mum fears for his health, that’s how sickly this heat is. I am trying to cherish it and would like to go on a walk but I know realistically I will pass out. Worse, all the ice cream and lollies in supermarkets have sold out so we can’t keep cool through that :(

I can’t wait for winter even though I know it will probably be depressing. My favourite weather, my least favourite time of year, if that makes sense. Even though I love Christmas despite its painfulness. I just love the cold and rain and snow despite the vibes that come with the heat is absolutely unmatched. This is why autumn and spring are rivalled for my favourite seasons, you get a good healthy mix of both weathers.

Also, if I get to go on a shopping trip to buy winter clothes to last me between October-May I will be so excited oh my gosh

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juliehvidborre · 6 years

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What will the future bring?

The earth is falling apart and we are fighting for our life. Try to imagine the reactions all over the world when NASA is announcing that they are in contact with creatures from another planet.

The animation is a gif from Tumblr

Let’s take this scenario into consideration 50 years from now. Imagine that we will have years of drought lasting for months as the heatwave Europe is facing at the moment. In February 2018, The Guardian reported, that findings from Newcastle University study showed extremely high risk of damaging weather changes. By analyzing changes in flooding, droughts and heatwaves for European cities the reach-team discovered that: “[...] even the most optimistic case showed 85% of UK cities with a river, including London, would face increased flooding.” They found these future threats by looking at the impact by the years 2015-2100. This means that we not only will be facing heatwaves, but the water level will also increase. Furthermore this will have an impact on the relocation of the world’s population and an unbelievable damage to the agriculture around the world. The report “Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Food Supply” by U.S Environmental Protection Agency, explains how the destruction of agriculture around the world will forsake that the search for food and drinkable water will increase because of the limited access to these resources. The fact is that we need to understand these limitations and try to focus on solutions before it is way more out of control than it is today. As The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, report we need to face the consequences for disaster risk: “[...] changes in the frequency and severity of the physical events affect disaster risk, but so do the spatially diverse and temporally dynamic patterns of exposure and vulnerability. Some types of extreme weather and climate events have increased in frequency or magnitude, but populations and assets at risk have also increased, with consequences for disaster risk.” Not only do IPCC inform us about the coming climate changes they also involve us in the solutions for how we can try to manage the situation.

All these above mentioned climate facts, how I physically see the weather chances, and my awareness of how to behave, makes me click on the pause botton and let my thoughts run freely. The first thought which comes to my mind is: “Maybe our only hope is to safe our existence on another planet?”

Credit for the picture to Room on Flickr

 Do you think this seems unrelatable? Actually, I just realized on a tour to NASA’s Reach Center in Silicon Valley that NASA regularly discover planets the sizes of the earth in our Galaxy. They still investigate these planets, to find out if they consist of life given resources as water. “Who knows, maybe life in space are closer than we think?”  Do you still think it all sounds like a science-fiction plot and you can’t really relate. I hope you will stop and think twice. What I have created as a scenario is reality for a lot of people around the world and a process we have gone through for ages. Even though all these reflections upon the galaxy and a horrible future caused by the climate changes may seem a little far out there is actually a connection to nowadays. My thoughts lead me to think how we wanted to be welcomed if we were in a deadly situation. Refugees around the world are comfronting these problems every day and so are the resourceful countries.

First of all I created this scenario about traveling to another planet because I think it is a future reality. We may not search for a safe place to stay because of war, but as the technical reports indicate I believe we are going to face a future with a world full of climate refuges. Beside that we have to bare in mind how we everyday become more and more specialized in investigating and discovering space which influences our future possibilities. Maybe it won’t be a real deal for my generation but for further generations I have no doubt it will. Furthermore I wanted to push the thoughts about the current refuge crisis to the extreme. I think that citizens in Europe, in fact all over the world, tend to become blind when they have to handle a situation where people are forced away from their homes and searching for ways to survive.

The current situation in Denmark had made a massive impression on me because I daily witness how refuges are suffering. I know that there are many layers of this situation e.g. the way we handle the economy, however that isn’t my focus here. What I’m focusing on is the social perspective. For making a link between the far away space scenario and the current refuge crisis I want to spread awareness of how small steps can lead to understanding and create a brighter future. I think we will come far if we start with being openminded and take responsibility. After long lasting conversations with especially my grandparents, but also other people, who aren’t that familiar with foreigners, I started realizing what a major impact the first meeting have. How we through the first smile and contact can make a world different. I know the first step can be a little threatening and the fear of lack in communication can create concerns, but as I have experienced willingness and sign language can take us far. In fact the outcome of approach can give you so much in return. As far as my travel experiences have showed me by communicating with hundreds of people from around the world, we all share a lot of similarities. One gift we especially have in common is the need of social interaction. UCLA neuroscientist explains it as “[...] social connection is as important as food and shelter.” in the book “Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired To Connect”. For me personally I hardly find experiences more interesting than exploring a new culture. Interacting with people from different cultures is like opening a window into a new world where different history and surroundings have created other ways of thinking. Not only can these meetings provide understanding and awareness they can also inspire us and challenge the way we think. All you need is to make the first move.

Credit for the picture to JIhopgood on Flickr

If we ever face a climate change escape through space I hope we will meet some welcoming creatures with whom we have at least something in common with. As long as we are openminded our foundation for interaction is laid.

I will continue my reflections and I hope you are willing to share yours. Another perspective of the scenario which could lead to endless talks for instance “How shall we behave when we discover a livable planet - even though we are panicking and looking for resources to survive?” I won’t add any comments on that but feel free to comment here if you are open to discuss.

Warmly, Julie

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fluentlanguage · 4 years

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2020: An Honest Review of a Maddening Year

Prost Neujahr!! Let me raise my glass of wine-with-fizzy-water to you and imagine a virtual hug to say "wow, that was something." Happy new year 2021! Over the last few days, I have been taking stock and going through my review of the year.

Winter/Spring 2020

Things started off so well!

Fluent Language Life

I kicked off the year with Your Solid Vocab Memory, a brand new online course I had created over the winter holidays. Over the month, I was delighted to welcome the first students and even host a brand new live round! Live rounds were a new concept that Iearnt about in 2020. You’ll read about them again!

In the springtime, I also became a co-host of the Language League membership group (now closed). My first lesson was about applying the lessons of the Four Tendencies framework by Gretchen Rubin to language learning, and it was a success!

💡 By the way, you can get access this lesson as part of the Language Habit Toolkit!

In my podcast world, I pre-recorded some interviews before moving house and published my long-awaited interview with Marc Okrand, creator of the Klingon Language. Along with Marc’s episode, this one with Lindsay is one of my favourites for the year.

I concluded late spring with a highlight and a challenge:

🥳 Highlight: I taught and created the Language Dabbler’s Guide to Welsh, my first ever class dedicated to the Welsh language which I love soooo much. It was daunting and incredibly exciting to teach this language to others, and I’m delighted about how it all came together.

😭Challenge: About halfway through March and before the Polyglot Cruise was cancelled by Kris Broholm (for obvious and very sensible reasons!), I decided to withdraw my own attendance on the ship. Having looked forward to this cruise for many months, it was a really hard and sad decision. I struggled with anxiety over safety on a cruise, and sadness over the loss of this innovative event.

Personal Life

🎊 I enjoyed lovely days out around the UK in London, Leeds, and Folkestone, and a week at home helping my mum celebrate her 60th. This was just a few weeks before the world shut its doors and borders, so I’m grateful I was able to celebrate her birthday as a family in Germany.

The highlights were a little more hidden. No trips around the world speaking 5 new languages, but perhaps the kind of work that will serve me and you for years to come.

🏡 Right in the last week of March, we finally got the news that our new home was ready. I remember standing in the new house having to keep a 2-metre distance from the house builder’s rep, and the absolute chaos and anxiety and stress of trying to ensure a smooth move in the same week our government issued “stay at home” orders.

Language Learning

My winter and spring of 2020 were dedicated to quiet study of the Chinese language. I used plenty of LingQ and Yabla, which were fantastic resources giving me understandable input even at my beginner level.

I wasn’t really in love, but happy to plod along. Here’s where I was at by the end of it all.

In hindsight, I don’t mind that there wasn’t a huge blissful progress rush. The spring was a fulfilled time but also a challenge, and I found that the work I did with Chinese helped me later in the year when I started speaking more. Whatever you learn in a language now will always serve you down the line, no matter if it feels like “progress” in the moment or not.

Spring / Summer 2020

April started off marked by anxiety and exhaustion. The country, continent, globe were in a bad place. Every day, my heart broke for people suffering with the disease.

My mum always said that whatever you dream in the new home comes true. I dreamt I was in hospital with covid, so let’s just hope there are exceptions to that one.

Fluent Language Life

I had chosen to pause the Fluent Show for a few weeks while settling into the new space, but recorded a bunch of cool interviews behind the scenes. Speaking to incredible people like Sara Maria Hasbun helped me connect to my own motivation again. I also produced a little mini series called “Fluent in Isolation”, which you can get through the Fluent Show’s Patreon page

During April, I wasn’t ready to run or create new programmes yet, but I dedicated my time to sprucing up the Fluent Affiliate programme, which now boasts a few great features that I’m proud of. If you’re ever interested, here’s where to sign up.

In May, I created my first ever 1:1 coaching programme, the month-long 30 Days to Fluent. It felt incredible to give learners that structured support and I learnt a lot to take forward.

Besides that, a highlight and a challenge:

🥳 Highlight: The Teach & Thrive Summit! Teach & Thrive was a membership I ran together with Lindsay Williams, my only offering for online teachers in 2020. The Summit event was our way to boost online teachers for two days straight, and we had so much fun and met a few amazing people doing it.

Black Lives Matter

This was the challenge, but to call it a “challenge” feels like an understatement. Events happened in the USA and reverberated around the world in June 2020, and I think it made a lot of people reflect not just on their own practices as teachers and business owners, but also as people on the internet.

It is worth clarifying that I actively want to support anti-racism and will highlight and advocate for the equality of all. Language learning means committing to tolerance of other world views, and this open mind is a core value for me. This topic deserves well considered words so here are the best I managed to put together.

Personal Life

Well, it was lockdown. I learnt how to make sourdough bread, bought some roller-skates, went paddle boarding. I didn’t travel. I went to the pub, just once. I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with my husband…in our living room. I felt restricted, but made the most of it. The time passed…like bubblegum.

Language Learning

After all the events I wanted to attend in Wales got cancelled, I picked up online lessons in Welsh again in the summer and threw in Chinese lessons on top.

I participated in the italki language challenge, which was an excellent way to get more fun into my language world without having to struggle to concentrate on a book.

Summer/Autumn 2020

In the hot hot heatwaves of August, I made the lovely decision to join the business programme Profitable Playground - this was the biggest business commitment I made to Fluent Language in 8 years and I’ve been delighted about the ways it’s improved my work. When I am better at all that, all my students get better results!

Fluent Language Life

The biggest event of the late summer was Women in Language, the annual online conference I co-organise with Shannon Kennedy and Lindsay Williams. With 789 participants from 65 countries this year, we broke all the records. Women in Language is an incredible event and we love everyone who made it along this year. (We’ll be back in March 2021 by the way.)

I followed up Women in Language with a few days of rest and a dive into something I had worked towards for many months: Updating the Language Habit Toolkit!

The Language Habit Toolkit is one of my favourite ever courses and a cornerstone of how I teach and coach languages. In October, I invited everyone who owns the course to a live round, added a brand new training on productive language learning, and even added another professional worksheet. The course is the best it’s ever been!

The Language Habit Toolkit live round was an all-round delight, and I’m looking forward to running more of these in this new year.

One more highlight to note in this period is the 200th Fluent Show episode. We made it!!!

Personal Life

Like in the summer, I have little to report here. I was proud to give blood for the second time this year, but overall this time was dominated by the monotony of life at home. There were some home improvements, and more exercise. It’s all good, but I look forward to leaving my street a little more in the summer of 2021.

Language Learning

Over autumn, I kept up my weekly Chinese lessons as much as I could, but Welsh definitely took the pole position again when I joined a weekly evening class run by Welsh for Adults.

The course runs for 2 hours every Thursday night, it’s based on a traditional textbook, and in all honesty it’s been a delight to meet new people and chat away in this language once a week.

I’m now learning Welsh at level B2, and that is enough to call myself a Welsh speaker. What a joy! I don’t regret learning this language for a second.

Autumn/Winter 2020

THEY INVENTED A COVID VACCINE!! But this isn’t a review of medicines, so let’s get back to Fluent Language.

Fluent Language Life

In November, I found myself in a massively exciting situation as a speaker at the Language Show 2020. This was my first year as a speaker at this particular event and I was overwhelmed with the positivity, engagement and joy of 1000 live viewers who tuned in to see my talk about boosting your vocab memory. What a joy!

The good vibes continued in December as I gave the year just one more fun event, the Crack the Grammar Code live training. I had so much fun and was absolutely delighted to share my honest best practices about how to really learn grammar when you’re learning languages.

Personal Life

After spending most of my year in a very small world without personal transport, I finally ordered a new car which was delivered in November. It hasn’t completely changed my life, but there’s a definite change in the quality of every day as I can now allow my world to grow a little bit more.

Having personal transport has meant that I’m also back in the sea! I love the bracing adventure of swimming outside, and even in the British winter it never fails to put a smile on my face. Having done without access to the coast for most of 2020, I feel like this small change is making a big difference.

Even though the festive season was spent without any family and friends as the UK had to increase its covid restrictions in our second wave, things still felt like there was a dawn after the cold night. The US elections, the covid vaccine, the new year are giving me hope for 2021. We can do this!

In Conclusion

✨ I dedicated myself to language coaching and sharing psychology and mindset training for your language success. In 2020, I did more of this than ever with 2 new courses (see all of them here).

🎊 I had lots of fun in my business with workshops like the Language Dabbler’s Guide to Welsh, the Language Habit Toolkit live round, and our record-breaking Women in Language conference. And I learnt that when I have fun, my students benefit!

👩🏻‍🏫 I co-ran two membership groups...both of which closed to make more space for the new, exciting work that comes next.

2020 was a huge challenge, but we got through it and we all learnt a lot. The highlights were a little more hidden. No trips around the world speaking 5 new languages, but perhaps the kind of work that will serve me and you for years to come.

My Thank You

Throughout the year, I was supported by you as my readers, students, Patreon backers, podcast listeners, blog readers and language buddies.

Stay healthy, all of you, and tell me what’s been your highlight of the year 2020 with a comment or a message!

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nigeiadigitalmarketingcompany · 5 years

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Links 8/10/19

Digital Elixir Links 8/10/19

Yves here. I am getting some popups. This may be happening to you. Apologies if so. This is not supposed to happen. I have told our ad service to get rid of them and I hope this will be remedied pronto.

New research shows that elephants and other animals can suffer from PTSD CBC

Mysterious, Ancient Radio Signals Keep Pelting Earth. Astronomers Designed an AI to Hunt Them Down. LiveScience

Increasingly Frequent Marine Heatwaves Can Kill Coral Almost Instantly, Study Finds BBC

Dark Matter May Predate the Big Bang, New Math Suggests Science Daily

The Gulf Stream is slowing down. That could mean rising seas and a hotter Florida PhysOrg (David L)

In Russia’s Wildfires, Climate Change Is to Blame Bloomberg (UserFriendly)

Climate change is making it more dangerous to eat certain fish Grist

No One Understands Lyme Disease Bloomberg

China?

Trump Says It’s ‘Fine’ If September China Talks Are Canceled Bloomberg

Peter Navarro says US will take strong action against China if it devalues yuan to ‘neutralize tariffs’ CNBC

US hits back at China for targeting diplomat in Hong Kong Guardian

North Korea

North Korea tests ‘short-range ballistic missiles’ BBC

Donald Trump gets ‘beautiful’ letter from North Korea’s Kim Jong Un DW. Two can gaslight.

Kashmir

Kashmir: Moscow for resolving issue in accordance with Shimla, Lahore pacts The Hindu (J-LS)

‘Double standard’: A hard right American political conference spreads its wings in Sydney Sydney Morning Herald. Kevin W: “The real story is in the names of the people attending – a real nest of vipers. Alternate article on this story at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/09/when-tony-abbott-and-peta-credlin-share-billing-with-radical-far-right-figures-we-should-be-concerned

Brexit

UK economy contracts for first time since 2012 amid Brexit worries France 24

No 10 cancels staff leave, hinting at likelihood of snap election Guardian

Simultaneous wind farm and gas-fired power station failures are blamed for one of Britain’s worst power cuts in years as millions are hit by blackouts – with homes, airports, trains and even traffic lights going down Daily Mail

Russia Admits Mysterious Missile Engine Explosion Involved A Nuclear ‘Isotope Power Source’ The Drive

Italy’s Matteo Salvini calls for fresh elections as coalition fractures Guardian (UserFriendly)

Syraqistan

U.S. Sanctions Turn Iran’s Oil Industry Into Spy vs. Spy New York Times (Kevin W)

Withdrawal of US troops in Syria strengthened ISIS resurgence, DOD watchdog says MSN (resilc)

Turkey to annex northern Syria with US blessing Asia Times (Kevin W)

California School District Agrees to Desegregate After State Investigation New York Times (Kevin W)

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Oh my God: If you let anyone other than Apple replace your recent iPhone’s battery, expect to be nagged by iOS The Register (Kevin W). Apple probably thinks they are being super nice by refraining from bricking your phone.

Trump Transition

Roseau feels the strain as Minnesota-Canada border hassles take a toll MPR News. Chuck L: “Collateral damage”

I Can No Longer Justify Being a Part of Trump’s ‘Complacent State.’ So I’m Resigning. Washington Post (furzy)

The FBI Told Congress Domestic Terror Investigations Led to 90 Recent Arrests. It Wouldn’t Show Us Records of Even One. ProPublica (UserFriendly)

Most Latinos Now Say It’s Gotten Worse For Them In The U.S. FiveThirtyEight (resilc)

Trump administration authorizes ‘cyanide bombs’ to kill wild animals Guardian (furzy)

DNC Chair’s Latest Resolution Could Torpedo Climate Debate Push, Activists Fear HuffPost (UserFriendly)

Republicans are becoming economic populists again. That’s a good thing Guardian (UserFriendly)

2020

In Shift From 2016, Bernie Sanders Shares More Personal Tales Wall Street Journal (UserFriendly)

Biden in Iowa Says ‘Poor Kids’ Are Just as Smart as ‘White Kids’ Bloomberg

Tulsi Gabbard on Syria, Iraq, Kamala Harris and the 2020 Primary – Rolling Stone (furzy)

AOC’s voting bloc looks to its next targets in New York Politico (UserFriendly)

Court Upholds North Dakota Law Stripping Voting Rights From Native Americans TruthOut (furzy)

Gunz

Trump flirts with action on gun control The Hill. Gaslighting.

President Bill Clinton: Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban Now Time. UserFriendly: “Look who wants to have one tiny bit of his legacy not be in tatters.”

L’affaire Epstein

Jeffrey Epstein documents show how girls were lured into his life Miami Herald (Chuck L). Ugh.

Epstein, or How Your News is Cooked Ilargi

CEOs Who Cheat In Bedroom Will Cheat In Boardroom, Study Shows Bloomberg. Erm, not quite. Ashley Madison people were actively looking to cheat and find fellow purposeful cheaters. Some “cheaters” have a single indiscretions or fall into an affair (get attracted to someone when their marriage is going through a bad phase), so it’s not clear to what degree these finding apply to less purposeful cheaters. Sp worth further study.

Our Fabulously Free Press

Trump is reportedly planning an attempt to regulate Facebook and Twitter over alleged political bias Business Insider (Kevin W)

Revealed: how Monsanto’s ‘intelligence center’ targeted journalists and activists Guardian (furzy)

‘The Family’: Netflix Series Investigates America’s Secret Theocracy Rolling Stone (furzy)

Malaysia Indicts 17 of the “Untouchables” at Goldman Sachs Wall Street on Parade (UserFriendly)

How the Supreme Court Is Rebranding Corruption Pro-Market

‘Global Economy is Probably in Recession’ Reuters

Class Warfare

The Descent Into Cruelty Current Affairs (UserFriendly). Filed here because IMHO this sort of conduct can be rationalized by the perps and the people who gave the orders by virtue of seeing the people as lesser.

Elderly couple found dead in murder-suicide left notes that they couldn’t pay high medical bills Daily Mail (J-LS)

Antidote du jour. Margarita: “This little guy performed almost an instantaneous costume change – as soon as he spotted me admiring him – and probably thought “‘let’s see if you can do this!’”

And a bonus (Chuck L):

This bird just discovered that golf balls bounce on concrete and he’s absolutely loving it. pic.twitter.com/rXQVgWZXu7

— Jesus Chrysler (@JesusChrysler15) August 2, 2019

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

Links 8/10/19

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2OOkzlO via IFTTT

#Digital Marketing #SEO #Social Media Marketing #Nigeria Digital Marketing Company #Lead Generation

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starlight2016studios · 7 years

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APPOINTMENT 1 - Dreams coming true

Hey everyone :3

So recently I had my first formal appointment to seek out testosterone after waiting nearly a year for my first NHS appointment which has felt like forever and been a painful waiting process.

Originally, I wanted to see GenderCare, however as Dr. Lorrimer was booked up until next year, he recommended making an appointment with Dr. Lenihan. I started to look up accounts of other people who have seen her, however didn't find much, but found that others wanted accounts of what she was like. So after e-mailing her and booking my appointment a week later I thought it best to share my account to put other peoples minds at ease 😊 SPOILER ALERT: SHES AMAZING

-NOTE: When you e-mail Dr. Lenihan, she will ask for some basic information and if you have had your T bloods done - These are the ones that get sent to CX. Luckily I had mine done a year ago, so it was just a case of getting a printed copy of the results in order to take to the appointment. You will also need a form of identification, deed poll etc... anything to show you have been living under your new name or been living in your identified gender.

So firstly, depending on where you get off the underground, and how familiar you are to London, you will get lost. The building is in a street with identical buildings, however the number on the door is huge so you cant miss it.

When you go into the clinic, everything is purple and white and its really relaxing. I didn't have any paperwork to fill out luckily but this may be different for others. The staff there are really nice and polite and offer out free drinks, and the sofas are really REALLY cozy.

The doctors all come out to greet you and walk you to where you need to go, so don't worry about getting lost.

When I first met Dr. Lenihan she seemed really nice and approachable. She asked where I was from, why the weather was so warm (because there was a heatwave in the UK at the time) etc... we had a giggle before sitting down and getting to the questions.

I had read a article about what types of questions would be asked during this appointment, so I had a rough idea of what was gonna be asked but I didn't expect to get it all done in 1 appointment. Throughout the session, Dr. Lenihan was really kind and sweet, sharing her advice on not only my transition but also problems with my family and friends that were raised. It was as if I was talking with one of my relatives. When we spoke about waiting times for CX, she added that she also works there, so shared care wouldn't be an issue.

-NOTE: Questions asked were things like: what's the relationship with your family like? Are they supportive? When did you first get an idea that something wasn't right? What's your mental health like?

We went through the risks of taking testosterone, as well as the benefits, and then finally how often she would like to see me once I start taking hormones. At this point I could not stop smiling. What had taken nearly a year was done in two weeks. Despite being in a private clinic, I felt like I was visiting a friend, everything was really relaxed and chilled.

After our appointment, Dr. Lenihan said she would write up the report of what we spoke about and then recommend me to get a full physical examination in order to work out T levels. She said all information about what is going to happen next will be in the letter. WHICH IS REALLY REALLY INCREDIBLE OMGGG!! :D :D

So, despite the fear and hesitation of booking a private appointment, waiting times, finances. I would recommend it to anyone suffereing from extreme dysphoria if you can afford it. Saying it hasn't set me back wouldn't be being honest, but I feel so much better about myself knowing I went and have come back with answers. At the minute it feels like being on T by my birthday might actually come true, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

--------

For those who didn't know, Dr. Lenihan is also now going to start working at GenderCare, so you might see her there as well. She is a really really lovely person, so nobody should be afraid of contacting her or seeing her 😊

I’ll continue to keep everyone updated on what happens next, and if anyone has any questions just let me know!

-Riley

(I’ll also be speaking about this post in a upcoming youtube video soonish hopefully!)

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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Feeding the future: Fixing the world's faulty food system

Feeding the future Fixing the world's faulty food system Feeding the future Fixing the world's faulty food system Nearly one billion of the world's population go hungry, while two billion eat too much, using up the planet's precious resources. Josh Wilson delves into the data exploring ways to solve the problem. This article has an estimated read time of seven minutes Fixing the world's "faulty food system" is increasingly being recognised as one of the key ways to fight climate change as well as tackle high rates of both malnutrition and obesity. Each year 821 million people suffer from hunger – a figure that is rising despite an increase in global food production. And at the same time, around two billion people are eating too much of the wrong type of food. The world is also facing an unprecedented climate emergency, with temperatures hurtling towards a dangerous tipping point. Last week, a United Nations report concluded that eating less meat could help tackle the dual crisis of climate change and hunger. Switching to plant-based diets, the UN said, could both free up land and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. With the global population set to hit almost 10 billion by 2050, the pressure to find new approaches to feed the world is not going to disappear. Almost half the current global crop production goes to feeding livestock, however on average just 15 per cent of these calories are then passed on to humans when we consume meat. Climate change also poses a major threat to food security as increasingly common extreme weather events devastate crop land. Simultaneously, agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. “At one level we don't need to grow any more, we should stop feeding our food to bloody livestock and then we've got all the calories we need,” Tim Benton, professor of population ecology at Leeds University, told The Telegraph. “Food production, and especially livestock production, is a major driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, water and air quality degradation and soil degradation. We have to start actually recognising that we can’t carry on as we are,” Prof Benton added. But is the solution to such complicated challenges really as simple as changing how we eat? One in ten suffering from chronic hunger Hunger is a part of everyday life in certain parts of the world – 11 of the 15 most undernourished countries are in Africa, with the worst rates found in the Central African Republic where three in every five people suffer malnutrition. Globally over one in ten people suffer from chronic undernourishment In Yemen, some 85,000 children are thought to have died from extreme hunger between April 2015 and October 2018 as the country struggles with civil war and military intervention from Saudi Arabia. But many countries with high levels of hunger also produce plenty of food. Pakistan was the ninth biggest producer of beef in 2013 – yet more than one in five of their population suffer from chronic undernourishment. Experts have warned that future conflicts will increasingly focus on a struggle for dwindling resources, especially food and water, unless more urgent action is taken on a global scale. “The most potent resource for any national government is access to energy, water and food, and so as the world gets more complicated these sorts of things are going to matter more and more,” said Prof Benton. Insatiable appetites for meat The livestock industry is viewed by many experts as a serious threat to food security because of its size and unsustainability, as well as the negative effects on our health of a diet overly rich in meat. Every one and a half years, more animals are slaughtered than the total number of humans who ever lived. As countries become wealthier their eating habits shift towards more meat-based diets, fuelling a massive expansion in livestock farming and contributing some 8.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2010. “By 2050 we're forecast to be consuming 60 per cent more meat and dairy, a staggering 1.2 trillion litres of dairy milk and 500 billion kilograms of meat per year,” said Joseph Poore, researcher at the University of Oxford, warning that such growth is unsustainable. Meat production has skyrocketed to keep up with population growth With half of global crop production already going to feed livestock such a scenario could have catastrophic consequences, warn scientists. In the UK each person consumes an average of 81.5 kg of meat each year, up from 69.2 kg in 1961, despite associated health risks such as obesity, diabetes and bowel cancer. Professor Benton said: “If you look at the UK, the amount of money that it’s costing us to make people better through the health service is around 37 per cent of all our tax revenue and that’s going up fast. “That’s partly because of an ageing population, but it’s also partly because of malnourishment in the form of obesity,” he said. The majority of population growth will occur in less developed nations Drought causes over 80 per cent of agricultural damage Agriculture, especially livestock production, is a major driver of climate change, but it also one of the most sensitive industries to the effects of changes to weather. Extreme climate disasters such as floods, storms and droughts are on the rise, with an average of 213 such events occurring each year between 1990 and 2016. These events often devastate wide areas of delicate crop land. This harms agricultural yields, leading to food price hikes and loss of income, reducing access to food. This captures some of the complexity of the system and its highly integrated nature. It also highlights how the problem of feeding the population won't be solved by simply growing more food. There has been average of 213 extreme climate disasters per year Reports of crop damage due to climate change are becoming increasingly common, with farmers in Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria recently describing delays to the start of the rainy season, abnormal mid-season heatwaves and high-intensity rainfall. These have all led to crop losses. Increasing water scarcity is also a serious concern as the agricultural industry accounts for 70 per cent of global water use. Groundwater has already been depleted worldwide for crop irrigation, and as these sources run dry it will increasingly limit where we can grow crops. Meanwhile, as the planet continues to warm, sea levels are predicted to rise, putting low-lying farms at considerable risk, while also restricting future expansion. Scientists have warned that any initiatives to ensure future food security must account for global climate change and seek to minimise agriculture’s contribution. Changing diets and tackling poverty key "In 20 years time we will have 10 billion people on the planet and we simply can’t sustain those numbers without changes in diet," says Simeon Van Der Molen, founder of Moving Mountains, a British manufacturer of plant-based burgers. “Cellular agriculture is the future.” Plant-based meat alternatives such as the 'Impossible Burger' have been touted as a viable and much more sustainable alternative to conventional meat. The Impossible Burger bleeds like real meat Some of these products have already started to get a run out on Britain's high streets. Greggs achieved notable success with its vegan sausage roll and KFC recently announced it is to begin trialling a vegan Imposter Burger, featuring a bespoke Quorn fillet. Newer plant-based products such as the 'Impossible Burger' are now able to get much closer to the sensory profile and texture of meat, making it more appealing to many consumers. They have a similar nutritional profile to meat but require significantly less water and energy to produce. Insects have also been touted as a potential alternative to meat. They have the advantage of being high in protein and also have a much higher conversion rate of energy input to received calories. However, insect-based meat replacements remain a very niche consumer product and public acceptance in the West remains a long way off. But there is another major emerging food technology which has expanded rapidly in recent years and has drawn lots of interest and corporate investment, that of lab grown meat. This 'meat' is grown in special bioreactors from cells extracted harmlessly from livestock. The result is a product that is almost indistinguishable from conventionally produced meat. From petri dish to plate: how to grow a burger in a lab Leaders in the cultured meat industry are confident that their product has the edge over other meat alternatives because it has the same taste and texture profile as the real thing. “We’re pretty optimistic that as long as it really has the same taste, texture and smell, we think that most consumers will favour the product that doesn’t have all the guilt surrounding it in terms of animal welfare and environmental damage," said Sarah Lucas, head of operations at Mosa Meat, the company responsible for the first lab-grown hamburger. Lab-grown meat is still a few years from consumer availability and the technology still has some way to go - that first lab grown hamburger cost €250,000 to produce - but management consultant AT Kearney predicts that it will make up over a third of global meat supply by 2040. Meat consumption calculator However Prof Benton has warned that systemic changes to the whole agricultural system will be needed to achieve sustainable and nutritious food security. He says that tackling poverty will be key in this battle: “If people are too poor to buy a healthy diet, why does everybody leap to the conclusion that it’s the food price that’s the problem and not the poverty? “For me, the challenge of feeding 10 billion people is not how do we double agricultural production of the wrong things. It is how to do this systemic transformation so people can eat healthily in a way that doesn’t create a lot of waste and doesn’t create a lot of unsustainability.” Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Global Health Bulletin REFERRAL article

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runhappydad-blog · 6 years

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Sitting on my hospital bed, my shattered and, now dead, right hip has been replaced with a brand new titanium hip and I remember my surgeon making the joke ‘well… let’s just say you won’t be running any marathons’. At the time, I had absolutely no interest in running anyway! Why would anyone go running for fun? No thanks, that’s not for me… So I laughed it off because at least I would eventually be able to walk again and I was still alive after my accident. Little did I know back then that this joke from my surgeon would be something that would stick in my mind for the next twelve years and be the catalyst for my recovery from depression.

Skipping forward to December 2017, I was at rock bottom, full of anti-depressants, attending therapy sessions and feeling very sorry for myself. I needed to do something I had never done before, something I never thought I would be able to do in my life. I thought back and the joke made by my surgeon popped into my head again. I won’t be running any marathons… I won’t be able to do any running at all. But why not? Why should I let my hip replacement dictate the rest of my life? This was definitely a challenge I could focus on and I have always been told that exercise is a great way of coping with depression. I have already discussed the bucket list so I won’t go through it all again. All I can say is that I wanted to run, to be a runner and to have some medals to show myself that nothing needs to stand in my way.

Runthrough Tatton 10k, my 1st ever race

Originally, my aim was to be able to run 10km without stopping in time for the English Half Marathon and 10km weekend in September. By early March I had was able to run 5km without stopping, then by the end of March I was able to run 10km without stopping. I was sure I didn’t need to wait until September to complete my first race! I was motivated, dedicated and itching to get out and earn my first ever medal for running! One of my friends I had met through Twitter suggested looking into the monthly 10km races at Tatton Park, Cheshire, which were organised by RunThrough. I had a quick look on the website and without even thinking too much about it I signed up to the next race on Sunday 6th May 2018. Receiving the email which stated that my application and payment was processed felt brilliant. I was finally taking control of my life and doing what I wanted to do.

Before the start, with my brother, Dave

The night before the race I barely slept, I had trained hard for four months and I was confident that I would at least be able to complete a 10km race without stopping, but this was my first ever official race and the nerves had kicked in. The following morning was going to be a morning of many firsts. My first ever official running race, my first running related medal, the first time I was going to meet up with people I had been chatting to for months through Twitter and this was the first time that I would be competing with my incredibly supportive brother, Dave. My brother had been running for a good few years already but as he had completed this race a few years ago he offered to run alongside me and make sure I crossed that finish line.

Race day!

So it was a Sunday and I was waking up to my alarm at 06:00. Many things running through my mind that morning, ‘why on Earth am I choosing to wake up at this time on a Sunday to go and run over 6 miles!’ was definitely one of those thoughts! I knew I had to eat something but I was sick with nerves so ended up drinking coffee by the bucket load and skipped breakfast. Nerves were building as I had put a lot of pressure on myself to complete this race. I was raising money for MIND Charity at the time and a lot of people had sponsored me, but I was determined. Nothing was going to stop me getting over that finish line! As it was my first race, everyone I knew advised me just to enjoy the experience but I wanted a good time too! A time which reflected the amount of miles I had run and the amount of time I had spent pounding those roads and pavements between three and five times a week.

For a few weeks previous to the race, the entire UK had been in the midst of a record breaking heatwave and this morning was definitely no exception. By the time my brother and I had reached Tatton Park at 08:00 the temperature had already soared to over 20°C. With no cover from the shade at all, I knew this was going to be a very warm and difficult first race.

As I had never been in this kind of situation before, I had no idea what I was doing. I had turned up looking the part in my MIND Charity t-shirt, compression socks, trainers and my Racecheck Visor but that was it. Where do we get our race bibs from? Where is the start line? Should I have brought any documents with me? I really should have read all of the emails that the race organisers, Runthrough had sent to me leading up to race day. But my brother was there to help, he knew exactly what to do and lead me off to the very well signposted ‘Race HQ’ where I collected my number and struggled to pin it to my t-shirt.

The start of the race was eding closer, nerves were building and I had met up with my new friends, Will, Kerry, Stuart, and Anthony. Time to get some last minute warming up done.

09:00 came around very quickly and we were all taking our positions in our starting pens. I opted to start towards the back of the crowd of runners as I was aiming to finish in as close to an hour as possible. This was it, nerves had now turned into excitement. I had my brother next to me and I felt like I had prepared well for this, there was just the small matter of actually running 10km standing between me and proving to myself that this was possible. Either that or I could end up letting myself down and failing massively!

And they’re off! Runners were starting to make their way down the funnel and through the huge inflatable start line. I was doing it, I was running! The first 5km went by brilliantly, my brother was trying his best to pace me to a one hour finish time and each time I looked down at my watch I could see that it was definitely possible! The sun was still beating down on me relentlessly but I was still going at a respectable 5 minutes 45 seconds per kilometre, well of track for a sub one hour!

The route itself was lovely, set in the very picturesque grounds of the Tatton Park Estate, the ground was nice and smooth tarmac with a very small section of the route being a bit more of a dirt track. I was determined and my brother who was running just slightly in front of me was supporting me all the way! Making sure I was aware that we were going a bit faster than what we had planned and that I was happy to continue at that pace. I was very happy to, my legs were moving nicely, muscles all warmed up and mentally I could see that finish line.

What I hadn’t been prepared for was the long, gradual incline from 7km onwards. Looking at the path ahead of me, I could barely even see that my route was no longer nice and flat, but I could feel it. I was starting to feel exhausted from the heat, running uphill and the panic was setting in. Had I got a bit too excited and set off too quickly?

No! I refused to stop! I was going to get to that finish line no matter what! I threw nearly a whole bottle of water over my head and kept those legs going until I finally saw the 9km marker! There was only one kilometre left! Just after the 9km marker I saw someone who had obviously suffered from the heat and he was being attended to by paramedics by the side of the track, it really was a very warm day. I turned another corner and recognised an old school friend walking his dog, it was none other that Mr Asics himself, Gareth Pashley! Although he didn’t recognise me and there was no way I was stopping to chat with about 500 metres left to go!

I could see it, I could see the finish line! The excitement built up and I felt like I was ready to explode. There was still some energy left in these old legs of mine and I started to increase my speed. To the left of me I could hear my friend Kerry screaming for me to keep going. I couldn’t see her but I could definitely hear her! Then I noticed that my increase in speed was now a full blown sprint, dodging runners, the finish line getting closer and closer!

I can’t really explain what I felt when I crossed that finish line and stopped my watch. Exactly 1 hour and 34 seconds. I had just run 10km, 6.1 miles in 1 hour and 34 seconds, in the brutal heat and it was amazing. My heart was pounding, my legs were shaking and I was very, very close to being sick. I collected my medal and met up with my brother and my friends.

I had done it, I had proven to myself that my hip replacement and my depression will not rule my life. I felt amazing, I didn’t want to stop feeling this good! But I didn’t have to, I had plenty of races booked over the rest of 2018 including a half marathon. I was more determined that ever to keep training hard and chasing that finish line feeling. My running addiction had begun.

The running addiction begins… Sitting on my hospital bed, my shattered and, now dead, right hip has been replaced with a brand new titanium hip and I remember my surgeon making the joke 'well...

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Bryan Habana chats retirement, Toulon frustrations, Nelson Mandela, Springboks and his best moment | Rugby Union News

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=27122 Bryan Habana chats retirement, Toulon frustrations, Nelson Mandela, Springboks and his best moment | Rugby Union News - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=27122 South Africa great Bryan Habana talks exclusively to Sky Sports about the end, the beginning, the high point and what's next. "Retirement is almost a taboo subject in sport, which is remarkable given that it happens to every athlete. Winners and losers, veterans and rookies; none escape." - Brian Moore, ex-England rugby.*********** "It's over. As hard as it is for me to say, it's over. I will wonder if I made the wrong decision. I'm sure on Sundays I will say I could be doing that. I should be doing that." - Brett Favre, American Football quarterback; Super Bowl winner.**********"People suffer from depression after retiring from sport because they aren't sure where to apply that focus…there is a lot of focus and a lot of selfishness in sportsmen." - James Cracknell, Britain's double Olympic rowing champion.**********"Usually a person's job is not their dream. At some point, an athlete has to give up their dream and they don't do it because they have had a lifetime of it; they do it because they are forced to, and usually when they are in the rudest health."The last stage, acceptance, is often the hardest because athletes are trained to overcome, not simply succumb to their fate." - Moore.**********"Nothing could satisfy me outside the ring… there is nothing in life that can compare to becoming a world champion." - Sugar Ray Leonard, former boxing world champion.**********"I'd give it all back, even now, if I could even just change my name and go back riding for another year or two without anyone knowing it was me. I'd love to do that. I think I'd be a lot better."I have moments all the time when I wonder if I did the right thing." - AP McCoy, 20-time Champion Jockey.**********'Professional sports people die twice.' It's a sentiment well-worn by many an athlete post-career. Indeed, the toughest battle some will face comes after their time in action has ended.It's a period in which lives are often turned upside down. Adulation gives way to normality, acclaim to a quest for purpose. So it’s my turn to say Thank You: . The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I’ve welcomed it in for a drink. . It’s been more than a year of hoping, trying, pushing and willing to get back on the field for one last time, to taste the sweet victory or encounter that gut-wrenching despair. To hear the roar of the crowd or grab the pill out of the air. To make that last bone crunching tackle or score that last game winning try. But it’s unfortunately just not to be. I, like most, would have liked my career to have ended differently, but sometimes things don’t turn out quite the way we hope for. . So at the end of this season, it’s time to say goodbye and thank you to the game I so dearly love. . To try and sum up the past 16 years and how quickly they’ve flown by or even begin to describe how amazing the journey has been is impossible. . I would though like to express my gratitude: . • First and foremost, to God for blessing me with the talent to play this beautiful game. • To my wife Janine, Timothy and our newborn Gabriel, for your support, sacrifice and love to follow me to all corners of the earth so that I can pursue my dreams. • To my family and friends, far and wide, who wore their hearts on their sleeves as much as I did. • To the coaches, team-mates, medical and support staff in all the teams I was involved in. • To every opponent that made the battle tough and worthwhile. • To all my sponsors over the years who believed in me enough to support me on the journey. • To the fans, who make the game what it is. • To the critics, not to prove you wrong but so that I could prove to myself I could. • To the media, who take the game to households the world over. • To the lessons learnt, through the good times and the bad. • To the friendships made and experiences a plenty. . But most of all to Rugby, because for me it truly is a game made in heaven. . As a close friend one said: “memories are all we have.” And I’m immensely grateful for the memories I take with me into the next chapter. . With much respect . BH11 A post shared by Bryan Habana (@bryanhabana_) on Apr 24, 2018 at 4:00am PDT Recently-retired Springbok great Bryan Habana sits in the scorching Buckinghamshire sun on a Thursday morning. He's only just emerged off a plane from San Francisco earlier that day.He's keeping busy - exceptionally so - but is only too aware of the challenges that may await.Though he announced his impending retirement from Toulon in April, it is perhaps at this time of the year - when players are back in pre-season - that his decision firmly sets in.For the first time in almost two decades, he's not playing rugby…"It is a bit of a weird feeling," he says with an agreeable smile."The last season of my career before announcing my retirement was probably not the way I'd envisioned it coming to an end."Being injured, getting a six-month rehabilitation programme, not getting selected by [Toulon head coach] Fabien Galthie for three-and-a-half months without knowing exactly why."It was quite the opposite of the initial thoughts I had, which was rather disappointing. But it did, in a way, make me learn more about myself. "I was being mentally challenged and having to step up to the plate in an environment and process I never had to go through at any point in my career."I think I only ever played twice off the bench for the Springboks and was very rarely on the bench for any provincial side."It was in that period that I took a look at where life was going and where I saw myself going forward."We all know that period of transition is a well talked about along with mental health."The uncertainty that surrounds [what to do next] can be very scary and nerve-racking."I'm going to give myself a bit of time off to reflect on the last 15 or 16 years. "Rugby has given me a life that I'm insanely grateful for. Through the highs and lows, through long pre-seasons and long years, I've made some fantastic friendships and have really been able to enjoy my time in the game."Habana is as polished an interviewee as anyone is likely to come across. Gregarious, accommodating, thought-proving.Media trained in the sense he is accomplished at what he is doing, but not in the sense he seeks to avoid a topic. His honesty is refreshing and it's clear the end with Toulon has left him irritated."Through that final year with Toulon, you work out who you can confide in, who you can share your thoughts with, your ideas of what's happening in your personal life," he says. "Again touching on mental health, I was able to not just keep it all in because they were unbelievably frustrating times. There were months where I wasn't understanding why I wasn't even being spoken to about why I wasn't being selected."I had avenues to be able to vent and communicate with people within my circle. It made that whole experience and that frustration easier."But it's never easy. When it's out of your control, it's difficult to overcome. From a mental toughness point of view, I've since learnt a lot myself."Very few people actually get to end on their own terms. You look at the likes of Richie McCaw winning back-to-back World Cups or Jonny Wilkinson winning the double in France. There are one or two who do, but for many of us, you actually don't."That support system around you, to handle the frustrations, the disappointments, whatever you're going through is really, really important in difficult times." Ahead of heading out for a round of golf amidst the UK's heatwave, Habana chats potential business ventures going forward and a couple of brand ambassadorial roles for Rugby World Cup in 2019.Yet the 35-year-old is still in great shape and could feasibly and realistically have played on. Why finish now?"Looking back, the reason I've called it a day is I've just turned 35 and have had a great run. To be able to push myself for one more year is a double-edged sword."To stay in rugby because I could, or to experience another culture in Japan or somewhere, the other side of that coin is I would take myself out of entering the business world for another year."The 'real world' is not going to stop and wait because Bryan Habana has decided to play rugby for another year."At some point, rugby has to end and you have to make that decision and go into the real world. The vision of doing some stuff at the 2019 World Cup made it easier."I've also got a four-year-old and a three-month-old and to be able to spend some time with family before life gets really busy - when you have to do an 8am-5pm job and you don't see your kids - was another aspect. "I'm also not sure there was quite much more I needed to achieve on a personal level. I spent years in France in a culture that was very foreign to me - and not only the language."I just felt it was time to call it. My body could maybe have gone on a bit more, but mentally I knew the decision had to be made."Having lived in the south of France for five years, Habana, his wife of nine years Janine and the couple's two young children, Timothy and Gabriel, are currently between Toulon and Cape Town, with a view to moving back to South Africa within the next 18 months.As for what's next for the former winger, coaching seems not to appeal and whether he remains in the sport at all in some capacity appears up in the air."At the moment I'm not quite sure I want to be hands-on involved in rugby."There might be a bit of punditry over the next 12 months. My family sacrificed a lot over the last 16 years so to now go into punditry or coaching where, in coaching you actually work a lot harder than a player, coming in before, leaving after, you do analysis on a Sunday post-match, it's a thankless job being a coach. "Yes, there are lots of opportunities to create better people and achieve some success, and I have a lot of respect for the role coaches play, but for me to now continually offer up my weekends is not ideal for my family."Given the experiences I've had, I'd love to pass on thoughts if there was the opportunity as a type of consultant or mentor in some form, either in South Africa or somewhere else around the world. "But definitely I want to try and get a footprint within the business world. Exactly what that is, I'm not quite sure at the moment. I'm exploring options, trying to get some good advice in terms of what is actually out there."I've got some charity work with the Bryan Habana Foundation and I'd love to spend some more time being really hands-on involved with the kids at the various charities in London and South Africa."There's quite a bit on my plate and I think it's being able to structure that properly so you can get to everything, because at times what tends to happen when a player finishes is you put everything onto your plate at once and you don't get out to all those things."Hopefully, I'll have a time-management schedule which will allow me to get out to the things I feel are important, before settling down into whatever life after rugby really holds for Bryan Habana."*************The middle child of Bernie and Faith Habana, Bryan Gary Habana was born in Johannesburg and was actually named after Manchester United footballers Bryan Robson and Gary Bailey. Habana's upbringing, alongside older brother Bradley and younger sister Alicia, was not one centred or even interested in the oval ball, but more so the round one.That was until one summer in 1995…"I grew up in a Manchester United-loving family and to be brutally honest, rugby was probably the furthest thing from my mind for the first 12 years of my life."It was only really that 1995 Rugby World Cup experience in South Africa that literally changed the course of my life."To be able to have been inspired by that group of 22 men, by Nelson Mandela walking out onto Ellis Park with that No 6 Springbok jersey and a Springbok cap on his head, handing Francois Pienaar that cup called Bill and uniting a nation. I was one of the fortunate few to have been among the 63,000 at Ellis Park that day. "To have experienced that specific moment in time, which has gone down as one of the most iconic moments in sporting history, instilled and brought a dream inside of me to one day do the same."So having never played the game before then, to have experienced that unity, that inspiration and that coming together of a fairly new South Africa, in an environment where our history probably veered against what was happening at that time, is something I'm forever grateful for. "Sitting in that stand as a 13-year-old youngster, to then start dreaming about taking up this beautiful game called rugby, it was a watershed moment in my life."Without it, I wouldn't be in the position I am today."If the year 1995 was a watershed, then 2004 was a whirlwind.Having started off the year playing Sevens for South Africa, Habana toured Wellington and Los Angeles in February 2004 - the first time the then 20-year-old had ever departed South African shores.The Vodacom Cup was his next port of call - the tier below Super Rugby - before Habana travelled to Scotland in June 2004 to compete in the IRB U21 Rugby World Cup for South Africa.Here, he excelled to the point at which he was approached to go and play in - and presumably in time, for - Australia. With little apparent options back home, the youngster was at a crossroads. Yet within four months, Habana - who would go on to win a Rugby World Cup, a Lions series, two Currie Cups, two Super Rugby titles, a Tri-Nations title, a Top 14 championship, two European Cups and be named World Player of the Year in 2007 - would experience the biggest high of his entire career.And it happened just down the road from where he reminisces…"See I think 2004 was a bit of a blur for me," he says. "It got to a point in July 2004, where I wasn't really quite sure where my rugby was going."Then I got a call from the Lions who said they'd like me to be a part of their Currie Cup set-up."I got a few games in that and then, randomly, out of the blue, Jake White pulled me into the home leg of the Rugby Tri-Nations of 2004 which South Africa went on to win."Being based in an environment and culture alongside heroes of mine like Os du Randt, Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, was absolutely fantastic. As a 21-year-old, to be on that stage, where no one really knew who I was after being picked out of relative obscurity was pretty insane. "To then go on three months later and run out at Twickenham against the then world champions and score a try with my first touch of the ball in international rugby was a way in which my fairy-tale couldn't have started off any better."It possibly could, if South Africa had actually won that game! But it was really special."To get to that moment of wearing your country's jersey for the first time, and to do it in the manner in which I did, was truly fantastic. "People ask me about my best experience or the nicest win, but that specific moment was probably the highlight of my career because it showed that I'd arrived on the international stage."I'm fortunate to have had a lot of success in my career but that moment in particular stands out head and shoulders above the rest."Even in a career glittering with major honours, the torment of the bad days often longs far more than the joy of the good.For Habana, four dark days immediately spring to mind…"Wow…there's actually been quite a few low points to be brutally honest. "The 49-0 against Australia in Brisbane a year out from a World Cup in 2006. Getting booed off at Bloemfontein Stadium as an individual when I got taken off the field against Australia in 2010."That Japan loss in the 2015 World Cup was unbelievably disappointing, and then to end my career with my last Test match being against Italy in 2016 and losing, that's something I definitely don't look back at with a lot of satisfaction."And what of the current Springbok side?Undoubtedly improving, but still a way off the abilities of Habana's class of the late-to-mid-2000s. The summer's series victory over England has given all of a green and gold persuasion hope. "Obviously the last two years have been disappointing in terms of results and seeing Allister Coetzee go was not the best thing ever."As great as the June series win was, the big test will now come in the Rugby Championship to see where we really stand."It's exciting and it's a good time to be a Springbok supporter again." "Cuco Fuzion is a young brand getting into a market where we're allowing people to understand the benefits of going natural. It's great to be an ambassador with them in creating that awareness." - Bryan Habana. 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euroman1945-blog · 6 years

Text

The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – News From Around The World

Tuesday 24th July 2018

Good Morning Gentle Reader…. Hot and sultry night, and while that was good when I was young, now I’m a lot older, I prefer cool and calm… I was surprised to see that the temp got up to 25c last night, I’m already sleeping on the top of the bed, and have a fan blowing, what’s next .. sleeping naked? We walked down to the shore this morning, Bella with a cartoon tongue hanging out, but still enjoying the walk, same applies for me, except my tongue is certainly not as long….

TOURIST JAILED FOR COLLECTING SEASHELLS ON FLORIDA BEACH…. A Texas woman visiting Florida's Key West on holiday has been jailed after she took some seashells from the beach. Diana Fiscal-Gonzalez, 30, was arrested by a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer after she was found with a group of children taking the protected molluscs. She pleaded guilty to taking 40 still-living queen conch shells, telling the judge she did not know it was illegal. Ms Fiscal-Gonzalez has been ordered to serve 15 days in jail and pay a $500 (£385) fine. Ms Fiscal-Gonzalez apologised in court, and told the judge she had planned to clean out the shells to give as gifts to friends. Ms Fiscal-Gonzalez had been visiting from Dallas when an anonymous tipster called police on 13 July to report her for harvesting the shells. According to a press release, a Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) officer discovered her with three plastic containers of conches. After photographing the saltwater organisms, he returned them to the ocean. Many were still alive, according to the FWC statement. It is illegal to harvest the "slow-moving, long-lived marine snail", according to the FWC, but taking their empty shells is not a crime. The conch is an important part of Florida culture, with natives of Key West calling themselves "conchs". The local high school football team is called the Fighting Conchs. Ms Fiscal-Gonzalez is due to begin her sentence on 10 August.

UK HEATWAVE SHUTS PART OF LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL…. A 55-mile section of Britain's longest canal could close for a month unless there is significant rainfall. From 30 July, the Canal and River Trust will close locks along the Leeds & Liverpool route amid water supply concerns. While the closure will prevent boats travelling from Wigan, through Lancashire, and up to Gargrave, near Skipton, the towpath will stay open. The trust said the closure is likely to last throughout August. Trust spokesman Daniel Greenhalgh said it had been "a difficult decision" to close the canal, and that it had been working with boating businesses to offer alternative routes. Sarah Toole, who often visits the canal at Barrowford in Lancashire, said it was a "necessary evil" to maintain water levels. But Martin Cleaver, who runs a day-trip boat on the canal at Foulridge near Colne, said tourism would suffer. He said: "We pass 10 or 12 boats a day, that's quite a lot of people on holiday, and when you're on holiday you spend money. "If you've hired a boat and want to travel on the canal, you can't do and the knock-on effect will be for the pubs, where boats pull in and have a meal."

BADGER CAUGHT IN TRAP 'ILLEGALLY' SET BY HUNT MASTER….A hunt master has been accused of illegally persecuting badgers after he was filmed setting a trap and baiting it with peanuts. The trap later caught a badger but the animal managed to escape before Christopher White returned. The footage was passed to the RSPCA, which said it had "given advice about the legal use of traps". Mr White, who is joint master of the Barlow Hunt, told the BBC he had not seen the video so could not comment. "I can't get the footage so I'm not commenting on nothing," he said. An RSPCA spokesperson said: "We were made aware of this video footage and an inspector has in this case given advice about the legal use of traps." The footage was secretly filmed in a Peak District woodland by a group of activists called the Hunt Investigation Team (HIT). A HIT activist said: "Badgers are illegally persecuted for a number of reasons. The Barlow Hunt master may have feared that badgers would reduce the success of the estate's reared pheasants for shooting or he may have been emboldened by the widening badger cull. "By trapping adults during the spring, he would also eliminate dependent cubs. Whatever his reasons, to take or kill a badger without a license remains a criminal offence."

ROMANIA MAY GET BILL LETTING WOMEN RETIRE EARLIER…. Romanian mothers may soon be able to retire a number of years earlier, if a draft bill submitted to parliament is approved, it's reported. According to the Mediafax news agency, MPs from the ruling Social Democratic Party, along with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, have thrown their support behind an amended version of the country's Pensions Act. The draft document says that women should be able to retire two years early for every child they have over ten years old. Mediafax says that the bill was introduced because "more and more women who work give up or postpone having a child because of economic considerations". The agency notes that Romania's fertility rate has dropped to an all-time low, with the number of newborns in the country dropping below 200,000 per year. It says that this effectively means that the country's population is reduced by five Romanians every hour. The Evenimentul Zilei newspaper says that this may result in "major social problems", affecting the labour market, and health and pension budgets. The retirement age for women in Romania depends on the year they were born, but for most mothers born after 1955 it is approximately 60. The National House of Public Pensions says that it will reach 63 by 2030.

AIR CHINA VAPING: PILOTS FIRED OVER E-CIGARETTE EMERGENCY…. China has revoked the licences of two Air China pilots after a vaping incident in the cockpit forced an emergency descent last week. A passenger flight from Hong Kong to Dalian had to drop more than 6,500m (21,000ft) due to a sudden loss of cabin pressure. Investigators said it was caused by one of the pilots smoking an e-cigarette. The civil aviation body fined the airline and cut the carrier's flights with Boeing 737 models by 10%. It also ordered Air China to undertake a three-month safety review. The mid-air drama unfolded when one of the pilots, who was vaping, tried to turn off a fan to stop his smoke reaching the passenger cabin. Instead, he turned off the air-conditioning unit, causing a drop in the cabin's oxygen levels. Emergency measures were triggered, and oxygen masks dropped. The plane was forced to descend rapidly. If a plane loses cabin pressure, the pilot has to bring the aircraft to a lower altitude to keep crew and passengers safe. Once the crew saw that the air conditioning had been turned off, they reactivated it and brought the flight back to its normal altitude. The plane went on to complete its flight as scheduled, and none of the 153 passengers or crew were injured. A third pilot on board, who was not involved in the incident, had his licence revoked for six months and was banned by Air China for two years, the South China Morning post reports. Chinese flight regulations prohibit all flight crew from smoking, and banned passengers from using e-cigarettes on board in 2006.

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, morning… …

Our Tulips today are an unusual colour Nikitsky Tulip… what a colour ….

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Tuesday 24th July 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

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