My brain is on a plane to Spain
Hey buster,
I’m going on holiday! España, baby. And since I haven’t packed or waxed my legs or fully dried my NEON swimsuit, I’m going to keep it brief. (I promise I’ll raise a sangria to you from beside the guitar-shaped pool - and no that’s not much compensation, but it’s all you’re getting).
This week we have a heady mix of birdsong, goat yoga, a one-eyed queen and Lord of the Rings. Enjoy, you absolute babe, and I’ll see you on the 23rd.
Mucho amor,
ps - fancy sharing this newsletter with someone who might like it? Go on, and I might bring you back some Ibérico ham.
Let’s dabble!
Seat of learning
Have you ever wondered why aeroplane seats are blue? No, me neither, but you’re about to find out. Sadly, it’s not to hide the multitude of spilled blue lagoon cocktails, which is what I was secretly hoping.
Eye opener
Allow me to introduce your new heroine: Queen Amanirenas. Based in Kush (present-day Sudan), this one-eyed badass sent Roman emperor Caesar Augustus a bundle of golden arrows, with the message “If you want peace, they are a token of warmth and friendship. If you want war, you will need them.” MIC DROP. Reader, he surrendered - but get the full story here.
Bird on the street?
You may have noticed that when we went into lockdown, local birdsong quickly filled the noise gap left by traffic. But in some cases, their song not only became louder, it became more expansive, occupying more “acoustic bandwidth” (I know all the terms). Unfortunately, it meant their performance dipped, making them less able to defend their territory. Poignantly, the subhead to this article says, “We don't know if they'll ever sing their old songs again.” No, you have something in your eye.
Goat with the flow
Will nobody think of the goats??? This article discusses ‘goat yoga’ (where people do yoga but with Nigerian dwarf goats in attendance - I know, I know), and asks the killer question: do goats actually like it? I mean personally I’d err on the side of caution and leave them to fight with trolls who live under bridges, but that’s just me.
Shirefolk rock
No, since you ask, I can’t get enough of anything Lord of the Rings-themed, and this is just the second breakfast: a list of songs inspired by the fantasy classic, from rockers such as Led Zep, Megadeth and, er, Leonard Nimoy. Éo-winner.
And finally…
Oh, bravo 👏