I started today up with the birds. Well, probably even earlier as I didn't sleep well and ended up reading for an hour or so, some time around 2am, trying to persuade my brain to settle back into sleep. Early morning breakfast meeting and returning home as most people were still on their way into work to start their working day.
Later in the day, just as people are returning home at the end of their day, I'm off into town again for another network meeting.
Such is the variety of your working hours when you work for yourself. You may not work a regular 9-5, but there's the opportunity to go for a walk, read the paper and do the sudoku over an extended lunch break, to make up for the fact that the start and end to my day was far longer than when I was working for someone else.
Now to enjoy what's left of the evening!
Time management solutions for busy people - organise your business, your life and have fun.
Free Range, Barn or Battery
I hope anyone who's been watching Jimmy's Farm on BBC 2 will think twice when buying their cheap supermarket eggs.
They've just taken delivery 100 ex-battery hens - almost feather-less, as they described - "oven ready". These poor birds have overgrown toe-nails, clipped beaks, pale and totally bemused by space, fresh air and daylight having been cooped up in tiny wire cages for a year as they deliver cheap eggs. No longer needed because their egg production has dropped off many of them end up as even cheaper chicken meat in the supermarket.
A few facts:
In their life-time a battery hen will only lay 15 more eggs a year than a free-range or battery hen.
Don't buy battery eggs and don't buy the products that contain battery eggs. Most manufacturers use battery eggs - search out the ones that don't and always ask if you're not sure.
Buy and eat free range or barn eggs.
They've just taken delivery 100 ex-battery hens - almost feather-less, as they described - "oven ready". These poor birds have overgrown toe-nails, clipped beaks, pale and totally bemused by space, fresh air and daylight having been cooped up in tiny wire cages for a year as they deliver cheap eggs. No longer needed because their egg production has dropped off many of them end up as even cheaper chicken meat in the supermarket.
A few facts:
- there are 20 million battery hens in the UK
- 70% of eggs produced in the UK come from battery hens
- Only 6% are produced by barn hens
- 24% are free range.
In their life-time a battery hen will only lay 15 more eggs a year than a free-range or battery hen.
Don't buy battery eggs and don't buy the products that contain battery eggs. Most manufacturers use battery eggs - search out the ones that don't and always ask if you're not sure.
- Hellmans mayonnaise doesn't use free-range.
- Tesco, Sainsburys, Iceland and Morrisons have no intention of banning battery eggs.
- M&S, Waitrose, Co-op use free range either in all their products or their own brand.
Buy and eat free range or barn eggs.
Taking Personal Responsibility
I have a huge sense of personal responsibility. I feel responsibile for taking care of others, I feel responsible for the emotions of others in what I think, do or say. I feel responsible for doing what I can to reduce my impact on this planet and not to behave selfishly. I therefore find it very difficult when others take no personal responsibility at all. Especially when it comes to matters environmental.
We are currently having one of the driest winters and one of the worst droughts for 30 years. There has been a hosepipe ban in the south since last summer. If we do not have above average rainfall before the Spring there is talk of standpipes in the street. Yet I know people who will have a bath every day with apparent ignorance of just how much water they are using and how much they waste just on a day to day basis. I find this totally selfish. An attitude of "I'm all right Jack". They don't care as long as they switch on their taps and there is water coming out of it. The fact total escapes them that due to their lack of personal responsibility they and all the millions of others with the same attitude, will be responsible for all of us having a limited or restricted water supply later this year and no doubt at that point they will be the first to complain. We are incredibly lucky in this country. We have clean, drinkable water at the turn of a tap and we take it for granted. This is a luxury in many other countries where water is essential to life but not that readily available or even drinkable.
I don't know if it's plain ignorance or arrogance but we can't avoid the effect we are having on this planet. Many people are happy to adopt the 'head in the sand' approach but at some point and probably when it's too late, they will be forced to wake up and see that careless disregard for others and our environment cannot be sustained.
I visited the Brighton Earthship this weekend. A self-sufficient living environment complete with solar panels, wind turbine, water collection and soon to be installed grey water recycling. The idea that we can all live sustainably with minimum impact on the carbon cycle and build using recycled materials - in this case large numbers of car tyres.
Living an Earthship might be a bit extreme for most of us but we can all do our bit. We can all think less selfishly, because when it comes down to it - other people's selfishness affects us all.
I'll get off my soapbox now ...
We are currently having one of the driest winters and one of the worst droughts for 30 years. There has been a hosepipe ban in the south since last summer. If we do not have above average rainfall before the Spring there is talk of standpipes in the street. Yet I know people who will have a bath every day with apparent ignorance of just how much water they are using and how much they waste just on a day to day basis. I find this totally selfish. An attitude of "I'm all right Jack". They don't care as long as they switch on their taps and there is water coming out of it. The fact total escapes them that due to their lack of personal responsibility they and all the millions of others with the same attitude, will be responsible for all of us having a limited or restricted water supply later this year and no doubt at that point they will be the first to complain. We are incredibly lucky in this country. We have clean, drinkable water at the turn of a tap and we take it for granted. This is a luxury in many other countries where water is essential to life but not that readily available or even drinkable.
I don't know if it's plain ignorance or arrogance but we can't avoid the effect we are having on this planet. Many people are happy to adopt the 'head in the sand' approach but at some point and probably when it's too late, they will be forced to wake up and see that careless disregard for others and our environment cannot be sustained.
I visited the Brighton Earthship this weekend. A self-sufficient living environment complete with solar panels, wind turbine, water collection and soon to be installed grey water recycling. The idea that we can all live sustainably with minimum impact on the carbon cycle and build using recycled materials - in this case large numbers of car tyres.
Living an Earthship might be a bit extreme for most of us but we can all do our bit. We can all think less selfishly, because when it comes down to it - other people's selfishness affects us all.
I'll get off my soapbox now ...
Put Your Feet Up
I had my first reflexology session, for a long while, yesterday and it was interesting to say the least. Yes, I knew I was a bit of a mess but just how much so, I hadn't realised. My feet have been very tight and aching - a sign of tightness and aches elsewhere, so I was looking forward to a bit of relaxation and pampering.
I can highly recommend reflexology if you've not tried it before. Not only is it completely relaxing but what they discover and what you discover, while having your feet worked, is quite incredible. All those tender little points relate back to parts of your body. Head, neck, shoulders, back, stomach and apparently in my case - sinuses. Caught just in time - before I fall apart! Yes, your feet get worked on and it can be painful but it's good pain. Stick with it and you'll feel the benefit when you walk out as if you're walking on air.
So having had a bit of an epiphany - through my feet - I've spent today having a quiet, relaxing day and given my digestive system a break by fasting. Plenty of water, a fresh juice or two and OK, some home-made beetroot soup which isn't strictly part of a 'fast' but it's liquid and light.
More on my healthy eating later ...
I can highly recommend reflexology if you've not tried it before. Not only is it completely relaxing but what they discover and what you discover, while having your feet worked, is quite incredible. All those tender little points relate back to parts of your body. Head, neck, shoulders, back, stomach and apparently in my case - sinuses. Caught just in time - before I fall apart! Yes, your feet get worked on and it can be painful but it's good pain. Stick with it and you'll feel the benefit when you walk out as if you're walking on air.
So having had a bit of an epiphany - through my feet - I've spent today having a quiet, relaxing day and given my digestive system a break by fasting. Plenty of water, a fresh juice or two and OK, some home-made beetroot soup which isn't strictly part of a 'fast' but it's liquid and light.
More on my healthy eating later ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)