Saving Fish With Flies
A large amount of the fish caught in the sea ends up as animal feed. The Sunday Times reports how in South Africa, a process has been developed to create chicken feed from maggots fed on blood from abattoirs. Sounds gruesome!
But if it means we take less fish from the sea to feed animals, it’s surely better.
Obesity
They’ve just given a forum on BBC Breakfast for a very large lady, who calls herself a Size Awareness Campaigner. She objects to being called obese and wants doctors to use other words.
I would just use fat!
After all because of their overeating, they are pushing the NHS down the toilet.
Why should I pay my taxes to fund other clear up the mess causes by the bad habits of others. And of course that includes smoking and excessive drinking!
That item would never have been shown, whilst the program was based in London.
The Vatican Has Its Troubles Too
According to this report on the BBC, the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland is discussing the Church’s future.
And as they are sensible reforms, in areas like celibacy, contraception and woman priests, the Vatican is not pleased. I wonder whether they are discussing whether coeliacs can be priests, something that the Pope is personally against. Even though that rule would have stopped Liverpool’s excellent Archbishop Warlock being a priest.
Has Steven Gerrard Come of Age?
You’d think that the headlines about Steven Gerrard this morning, would all have been about his performance in the FA Cup Final yesterday. The Times rated him at 6/10, but said he was rather a frustrated figure.
The biggest headline about himn today, is that he has signed a letter with Jamie Oliver, saying that cooking should be taught in schools, as a means of fighting obesity.
Coupled with his measured and thoughtful support for the new England manager, Roy Hodgson, it would appear that we are seeing a very different Steven Gerrard.
Cynics might argue though, that he wants the England captaincy.
The Rain Claims a Victim
Tonight, the rain didn’t give up, so I took the bus to Carluccio’s in Upper Street for supper. In fact I had to go somewhere, as I hadn’t got any supper in because of the rain.
But coming down Essex Road, there had been an accident, and as we passed, I noticed that a motor cycle was on its side and it appeared that a passer-by was giving first aid to the rider. It looked like a police car had just arrived and they were helping out too.
Hopefully, everything will be alright in the end.
But it is that sort of night, where accidents will happen and you’re much safer in a full-size bus.
A Restaurant That Lives Up To Its Name
The Heart Attack Grill is in Las Vegas and it is living up to its name, as this story from Reuters show. Here’s an extract.
The female customer, a Las Vegas resident in her 40s, had been devouring a “double bypass burger,” puffing on cigarettes, and sipping a margarita when she collapsed Saturday night, the Grill’s owner told ABC News.
I won’t be visiting.
The Cutty Sark Opens Again on Thursday
The Cutty Sark reopens on Thursday after a very expensive rebuild. They certainly seem to have done a good job.
I have some doubts about the amount of money spent, but hopefully, the money will be repaid in extra visitors to London and also if it has helped create a new generation of craftsmen.
The Cutty Sark is one of the few sights of London, I can remember visiting as a child, probably after a trip upriver on a boat. What sticks in my memory is the figurehead collection.
It is one of those sites that is worth a visit, even if you have no time to visit the museums. There is a Marks & Spencer and a couple of coffee places, including a small Starbucks to get a quick lunch and quite a few places to sit, so for me as a coeliac, if I’m close, I know I can get a quick lunch, in quiet times like today.
I do feel very strongly, that big projects should leave a legacy. And so, I think it is important, that this restoration should be used to train the next generation of craftsmen. I know there aren’t many Cutty Sarks, but I suspect that a lot of the skills are also applicable to other historic marine craft from Victory and Belfast downwards to the MTBs of the Second World War.
We are getting better at this sort of legacy and for an example look at CrossRail. Part of the deal to build the enormous tunnels under London, was to create a Tunneling and Underground Construction Academy at Ilford. It will initially provide trained personnel for CrossRail, but it also has a wider brief to train people for soft-ground tunnelling projects, wherever they arise.
It is an idea that should be followed.
Where’s The Beef?
The proverbial question only had one answer today and that was in the Northgate Arms on Southgate Road about a mile or so north of the infamous Silicon Roundabout.
I had mine with just a few vegetables and a glass of wine.It was definitely worth the walk down the road.
The best beef I ever tasted was some home-killed beef from a farmer friend in Suffolk. But then killing your own is illegal, as it was then, so I suspect that route to good beef is probably closed now.
But then if you want good meat, the less stress the animal gets the better!
Starbucks Gluten-Free Smoked Gammon Salad Sandwich
I had one for lunch today in Starbucks in Upper Street. I usually go in there to avoid the chuggers.
Starbucks Gluten-Free Gammon Salad Sandwich
It was the best gluten-free sandwich for some time and was of a similar standard to Marks and Spencer’s late-lamented egg salad sandwich.
The Waitrose-Go-Round
I know that sometimes I buy some odd food, as many coeliacs do, but I’m finding getting what I need seems to be getting more and more difficult.
On Friday, I went to Upper Street, Islington to get most of my shopping, but yesterday, I had to go Holloway Road, or as I say, Jones Brothers, to get some of the rest. At other times, I find myself in Bloomsbury and Eastfield.
Currently, the products I find difficult to get are the St. Helen’s Farm Goats Milk Yoghurt and the Eat Natural Breakfast Toasted Muesli with Vine Fruits. I can get the latter in Sainsbury’s next door to my usual Waitrose. I’m not sure, but they may undercut Waitrose and shoppers have been ignoring it in the more expensive store, so the computer says they shouldn’t stock it.
But it all goes to make my shopping difficult.
The Anonymous Widower 