Started writing fiction late on in life. Can't stop scribbling. Can't stop learning. Armchair genealogist (Sutton clan).
#Southport#Manchester#European
On this day in 1960 Nye Bevan died aged 62. He led the creation of the NHS in 1948 as Labour Health Minister. It offered treatment free at the point of delivery to all citizens irrespective of income. Here he is with the 1st NHS patient, 13-year-old Sylvia Diggory.
Well done Germany 🇩🇪
Big win for animals: Germany officially ends fur farming in landmark move as last farms shut down.
This is a major moment for animal welfare in Europe. Germany has now fully moved away from fur farming. The last remaining fur farms have closed and the industry is finished in the country.
For years, animals like mink and foxes were raised in small wire cages for their fur. They lived short lives in confinement. That system is now gone in Germany.
This did not happen in one step. It came through years of stricter animal welfare rules, court pressure, and public opposition. Over time, the rules became so strict that fur farming could no longer continue in a practical way. One by one, the farms shut down until none were left.
Germany is now part of a growing global shift. More countries in Europe have already banned or ended fur farming. The direction is clear. The industry is shrinking as laws and public opinion change.
Animal welfare groups are calling this a major milestone. They say it is a step away from an industry built on confinement and suffering, and a move toward stronger protection for animals.
For supporters, this is more than a policy change. It is a sign that long standing practices can end when laws and public pressure align.
Germany now stands among the countries that have fully exited fur farming.
#germany #fur #farming #furcoats #minkfur
“There is no other species on Earth that does science. It is, so far, entirely a human invention, evolved by natural selection in the cerebral cortex for one simple reason: it works. It is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything.
It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised.
We must understand the Cosmos as it is and not confuse how it is with how we wish it to be. The obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true. Humans everywhere share the same goals when the context is large enough. And the study of the Cosmos provides the largest possible context.
Present global culture is a kind of arrogant newcomer. It arrives on the planetary stage following four and a half billion years of other acts, and after looking about for a few thousand years declares itself in possession of eternal truths.
But in a world that is changing as fast as ours, this is a prescription for disaster. No nation, no religion, no economic system, no body of knowledge, is likely to have all the answers for our survival. There must be many social systems that would work far better than any now in existence. In the scientific tradition, our task is to find them.”
— Carl Sagan
“How thoughtful of God to arrange matters so that, wherever you happen to be born, the local religion always turns out to be the true one.”
— Richard Dawkins
@noveliciouss We’re all made of the people we’ve loved, the words we’ve read, and the places that left marks on us. Nothing exists in isolation, not even us.
My dad has bees. Today, when I visited him, he showed me the honey he had harvested—an entire five-gallon bucket! As I lifted the lid, I noticed three tiny bees perched on the honey, struggling and nearly drowning. They were covered in sticky goo, barely able to move.
I asked if we could help them, but my dad shook his head. He was sure they wouldn't survive. "They're casualties," he said. I insisted once more—at least to spare them from suffering. After all, he himself had taught me that sometimes compassion means helping an animal—or even an insect—come to a dignified end. He finally agreed. He took the bees out and placed them in an empty yogurt container outside.
Because of the honey harvest, the yard was already bustling with activity, with bees flying everywhere. We left the small survivors on a bench and walked away.
A while later, my dad called me over to witness something incredible. The three sticky bees were now surrounded by their sisters. The others were tending to them—gently wiping the honey off their tiny bodies, refusing to abandon them. When we checked again later, only one bee remained, still being cared for. And finally, before I left, we checked one last time: the container was empty. All three had been rescued and were able to fly again.
They lived because they weren't alone. They lived because their family never gave up. They lived because their community believed in helping them until the very end.
Sister bees. Companion bees. United bees.
We could all learn from them.
Always—be kind. 🐝💛
Today marks 17 years since six people lost their lives at the Lakanal House fire.
June 2027 will mark 10 years since 72 people lost their lives at the Grenfell Tower fire.
Government data estimates more than 5,000 residential buildings over 11 metres still have unsafe cladding.
This Dog has just survived 6 days trapped in the Venezuelan rubble.❤️
Every life saved is a blessing.
Thank you all who helped 🙏.
🎦 Credit: Bombeirosmg.
i’m convinced that creativity is the elixir of life. not ambition. not productivity. but the simple act of making. the devotion to beauty. the refusal to go numb.