TYMHM: End of October

My regular feature sharing some interesting things that I've seen, heard or read over the last few weeks: they are Things That You Might Have Missed.

 

🏺 I've shared this before on my social media, but came across it again this month. This dry humour take from James Acaster on why the UK not returning stolen items to countries and cultures across the globe is ridiculous is one of my favourite things.

✨ Sorry everyone, but unsurprisingly eco glitter is just as bad for the natural environment as the normal stuff. You will have to bring sparkle through your sunshiney personalities instead.

🌳 An interesting article discusses why although academics have highlighted large swathes of Africa's grasslands for tree planting to capture carbon, actually African grasslands are their own ecosystem and are better for storing carbon long term.

🐕 It seems like everyone and their mother has got a dog or puppy over the last few months. Prices soared, people were scammed a lot and the rescue centres are shouting about expecting a post-lockdown influx of dogs and puppies. Interestingly, I haven't seen much discussion around the fact these lockdown puppies are also likely to have been terribly socialised as there were no classes and no one could go anywhere. This article discusses some of the main challenges of the lockdown dog market.

❄️️ I get very excited when I see books about diversity in adventure and the outdoors. British polar explorer Felicity Aston led the Women's Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition in 2018 and you can support the publication of the book following this expedition by pre-ordering here and sharing with your network. After recently finishing The Adventure Gap, I'm looking forward to reading this!

🏋🏽‍♀️ I've recently started CrossFit (I know, I know) and its been brought to my attention that there are many films about the CrossFit Games. After my introduction session, I watched The Redeemed and The Dominant, and these people are basically a different species. Also the games' designers are out of their minds. It is like a cross between the weights area of the gym and really hardcore Gladiators (remember that?). Anyway, I'd recommend one of the curated films for maximum effect but you can also watch this year's CrossFit Games in full on YouTube. Maybe with pizza or wine? You're welcome.

🕰 If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I've been making the most of my National Trust membership this year. Following the BLM protests earlier this year, the National Trust made a statement that they were aware of the links of many of their properties to slavery, and they were accelerating the labelling and historical significance of items within their properties. Cue random uproar.

🏊🏽‍♂️ Love swimming in the sea? The video below from Jay Cooper shows you the power of rip tides, how to identify them and how to get out of them if you get into trouble.

🐄 This comes up every year, but in case you've never heard it before – if you are walking your dog and you are chased by cows (this is more frequent when they have calves) let your dog off the lead. Your dog is very likely to be able to run faster than you and get away, and the cows are more than likely to ignore you. People die every year because they do not follow this advice.


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