Today's News

[Oma]

I seen the article about them Daisy , I would love to see them, isn’t nature and the atmosphere amazing 😁

[Daisy]

I agree, Oma. Nature is wonderful. x

[Daisy]

It's a Five Star Bore! Today the Severn River is experiencing the only 5-star tidal surge expected this year. It's attracted loads of surfers, paddleboarders and kayakers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-gloucestershire-68533039

I've watched some of the live broadcast (link above) and it's incredible that so many people want to ride the wave, but also how many people make a special journey just to watch. Of course, it's raining and cold, so no fun standing there at the river bank.

[Plantaholic]

I have only seen a recording of this, it must be amazing to see it live

[Gemini]

This was covered on TV news last night. Amazing!

[Oma]

I watched too how amazing 😁

[Daisy]

Most of the news seems sad, bad or just plain unpleasant, so here's a 'feel good' story for today.

Sequoiadendron giganteum are thriving in the UK! Otherwise known as Giant Redwoods, these trees can live for 2,000 years and in their native California can reach 90m high. The tallest in the UK is currently just under 55m, but is still just a 160-year old baby. They lock up large amounts of carbon dioxide and are spectacular to see. So while we're down in the dumps about our wet (but relatively warm) winter these woodland giants are thriving in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68518623

[Daisy]

Today is the Ides of March!

It is the 74th day in the Roman calendar, and was the day when people has to settle their debts. It was also a day of religious significance to Ancient Romans, but Shakespeare immortalised it in the phrase "beware the Ides of March" which a soothsayer said to Julius Caesar. JC should have listened and stayed in bed, but he didn't and was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius and others.

Shakespeare's tale of Julius Caesar sounds a lot like modern politics in lots of ways! We haven't made much progress, have we.

[Gemini]

Daisy one of my school friends birthday was March 15th, which she refered to as The Ides of March, so that date has always been imprinted in my mind!

[Daisy]

Gem, I bet you never forgot her birthday.

I don't know why I remember this from school, but I think in most months the Ides was the 13th of the month. The Romans, who knew how to make things tricky, counted backward from 3 specific days - the Kalends, the Nones and the Ides. When you add in Roman numerals and how odd they are, I should think nobody knew what day it was!

[Gemini]

Oma, we lost touch in our early 20's but I do know when her birthday is

[Daisy]

We seem to be continually bombarded in the news with unimaginable horror stories of everything from brutal wars to people's mental health and more information about so-called celebrities than we want/need.

But there is a small group of people who are thriving - it seems that a record number of people under 30 are earning over £1 million a year. It's not a huge number - 830 according to HMRC, as opposed to 650 before the pandemic. It's thought, though that these high earners are sports, media and music stars. Are we all too old to become media influencers or something?

[Gemini]

Hmmmm, let's give it some thought!

[Oma]

A lot I would imagine are these so called influencers as you say Daisy.
They seem to make a damn good living from basically doing nothing in my opinion,

I think I’m to old to care 😁😁😁

[Plantaholic]

Why can’t people think for themselves that they need an influencer. It has become a mad world. Sad thing is that we probably are all affected by the influencers in some way without realising it.