Some things do last forever

A new Independent Coffee Shop in Surbiton, ‘surbeanton’(https://www.surbeanton.com) is located towards the end of Victoria Road (the High Street). It is one of the closest to my flat, and definitely offers one of the best cappuccinos around! Although, often with a friend, or  primarily, reading my book, my attention gets diverted by one of my favourite songs. David Gray is a hero. Like many of you, i am fairly unfamiliar with most of his earlier work, but this song ‘gets me’ every time! 

One of my favourite videos, of all time…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq-jLjCVx_Q

Sail away

Current music that I have already pre-ordered, is an album of a Marissa Nadler duet. She has already appeared many times, on this blog...

… initially promoted by this blog in 2014 (http://patrickgoodacre.blogspot.com/2014/09/drug-appreciation.html), but samples of her work can found here, many occasions since.

Album ‘Droneflower’ released April 25/26

https://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/album/droneflower

Such heavy guitar backing such delicate vocals, is striking. Impressive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhUSJMp5y8Y

An issue that is very close to my heart, has been forever, and will continue to be, ‘sustainability’. 

I am a graphic designer, so i can recognise the certain important elements of both key areas of ‘packaging symbols’.

They are incredibly important, but I do know that they may be overlooked, regarded ‘too complex’, by some. Even I am not confident of understanding all of the many, many out there.

So...

https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/packaging-symbols-explained

‘Packaging labels and recycling symbols are now appearing on lots of everyday items, and help us to identify how different types of packaging can be recycled.’

I believe that everything can be recycled, to some extent. This could include the basic, direct re-use of a product, right down, through to the opposing extreme. If direct re-use is impossible, at some level of disassembly, elements of a product can be re-used, somehow, somewhere, by someone. Humanity has evolved to the stage where we should all recognise this, and understand the importance of sustainable ethics. Those who can’t recognise this, are still not as evolved as the rest of humanity. They may think that one day, they will catch-up or  overtake progressives, but they may be behind forever. 

We all are ONE WORLD, we cannot let this happen. Failure is not allowed.

Bread

I often ponder things whilst I am shopping. I know that my ethical conscience regularly directs me, when in the supermarket. Such sites are centres of human-consumption. Take, take, take, because we need, want, or desire. But we MUST UNDERSTAND, that we can’t 'take' forever! 

Bread, may seem like a fairly harmless item. I pass down the aisle. Hundreds of plastic-bagged slice loaves, all competing with each other to ‘last longer’. So, I’m afraid plastic packaging is inevitable. Opposing aisle, fresh bread. Mmmmm TASTY. All of these have fairly short ‘best-before dates’. Understandable because only recently baked or prepared.

Still in plastic!

WHATTTTT!?? :( Why?

I go and ask ‘customer-services’. They must be sick of my ‘queries/complaints’!

Oh well. I am told that they are testing designs/ usage of paper sleeves...

Maybe hope!

Milano-San Remo tomorrow

My tips are both Italian champion Elia Viviani, and Dylan Groenewegen (Dutch national champion in 2016). Groenewegen rides on Bianchi bikes (therefore an obvious favourite of mine)!

Dutch champion in 2016, Groenewegen is still a top level sprinter, winning opening stages in 2019 Paris-Nice.

Sickening!…Ineos

I am sooooo sad. Why?

I have moral principles. Please don’t worry, these will continue!

As you all should know, I am an ex-cyclist, with a dear love of the professional sport. Psychologically, I struggled enough, finding that Sir Rupert Murdoch’s media empire/business was to be promoted majorly through our top, professional team. Britain’s first success overall at the Tour de France sponsored by this multi-national, media company…. Hmmmm. OK

Impressive. a ten year old team. Success after success. Well done. Much respect…

… Now this… 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/ineos-arrival-casts-environmental-cloud-over-team-sky/

Er… Whatttt?!

A British company involved in fracking, in the UK, gets my putrid, disapproval.

Sorry guys, there is NO WAY that I will support any achievement of yours, now. Shame on you! 

do it alone!

Regularity explanation

‘I thought you were going to slow your blog down?....’

A hypothetical question that I am sure many of you feel like asking me!

My answer would explain that I initially did slow it right down. As in recent weeks, this week I have found issues that I want to present to you all. I initially took notes for a future post, but as notes have increased, I feel it more apt to post in the week ‘concerned’, or the same week that the note is made. I keep the blog ‘alive’. I cannot continue to prioritise it’s importance, but I want to keep it alive.

An espresso & a small glass of water 😪

I visited a relatively unfamiliar coffee shop/sandwich bar, earlier in the week. I ordered the above combination. OK, i didn’t offer my Espresso glass, but I was shocked that my 25ml Espresso was served in a full-size cappuccino-mug, and deeply saddened by my ‘glass of water’ served in A PLASTIC CUP!!! :(

Large mug of single espresso, and plastic cup :(

Regularly, my espresso cup with glass of water (out of picture)

‘Do you need help?’

The biggest insult, for me!

Reviewing the situation, this embarrasses me. They never mean to offend me. I may be struggling to do something which is quite simple (this frustrates me, so i become even more determined to do it alone)! I do not think this actually forms as part of a self-pride issue, it is purely ‘self-belief’. If I think I can do it, I can do it. 

On hearing such an offer, my self-pride is crushed, stamped on by those who offer to help, because they are considering themselves ‘above’ me and are looking down on me...

'NO! I will not allow this, sorry! I will be fine!’

I have always considered potential of ‘opposites’. Whilst it may be regular to consider something through a certain aspect, I admit that I regularly consider the opposite. I can recognise that this may result in failure, however positive results are just as regular (it may be the matter of finding them). This mentality was encouraged and enhanced, throughout my design education. I feel that so much of the teaching was, indirectly invaluable.  

A century since the opening of one of the highest quality, revolutionary design schools, from which future creative disciplines will feed forever. Thank you Walter Gropius.

Bauhaus centenary

Company ‘99designs’ celebrate a centenary of Bauhaus by offering some new, Bauhaus-style redesigns of some large, famous companies.

  

Google by Artopelago

Apple by Vladimir Nikolic

A review of Twitter followers...

I do not follow him, or have ever. But he still follows me…

...

I shop in the supermarket, always as ethically aware as possible (which is why I primarily shop in Sainsbury's, out of the two in Surbiton). More often than not, there are always options, when choosing a specific food. How do I choose? Well, price is perhaps an obvious factor, 'taste' perhaps another. However 'packaging' is also a very important factor. It alarms me (and probably some of you), as for how much plastic surrounds our foods now.

This week i decided  that i wanted a pre-made, refrigerated pasta-dish. I pass down the correct aisle and spot only one thing that is not packaged in a seemingly unacceptable material. 

The best on offer, but still not convincing

Plastic packaging

...Me, the town, the city, the country, THE WORLD... are accepting this!

Why? 

We must not accept!

Humanity must demand better!

...unprepared!

Unexpectedly, an unprepared post is supplied this week. It will be short. Only two notes to be discussed.

My new book, that I bought only last-week, has been an aim since beyond a year ago. It will take time to read, but I want to devote sufficient time to do such. 

The note below summarises the quote beneath, from page 47, of ‘Being and Nothingness’.

Opposites of EVERYTHING, can at-least be conceived, even if they don’t exist.

page 47...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/47336544

Kristina Vogel

I discovered the above link, on the BBC homepage today. At first I did not know how to react.

A double Olympic Champion, and multiple World Champion. A different injury, to me. However, it seems that she has maintained possession of great determination, and seems to have a similar positive mentality to many cyclists. Kristina may remain a cyclist, as much as I do. The brain of a cyclist. 

Very fortunately, although I had a Traumatic Brain Injury, I luckily kept many of the mental traits which I had learnt as a keen cyclist. 

There are many patients who do not.

We both cannot be active cyclists, but try to keep the mentality strong!

Best wishes to Kristina

...
Extra note.
I approve. I took my storage tin in to Whittards. My coffee beans are bought by weight, and I asked for them to be stored straight in my tin. We all must cut down on packaging, when possible!