Tuesday 25 September 2012

Animal welfare and The Tablet

Following a recent post in which I suggested that the best use for copies of The Tablet was to shred them and use the shreddings as bedding for pet rabbits, has brought a storm of adverse comment from animal welfare societies and the like.

Generally speaking, all comment has been focused on how unkind it would be to subject bunnies to the rancid scraps of what once was a great magazine.

The GPPS (Guinea Pigs Protection Society) has weighed in by accusing me of discrimination in favour of rabbits and, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Propagation of Composting Activities) has cautioned against using the magazines as added fodder for composting insisting that worm and bacterial populations would be decimated by coming into contact with, especially, the editorial pages.

The dilemma grows - what to do with the bulk of (remaindered) Tablets?

You can't use them as landfill material because of the environmental pollution threat - what can you possibly do with them?

Polite and creative suggestions gratefully received.


My thanks to Father EW, (EF Pastor Emeritus) who first flagged up this problem.

11 comments:

  1. Indeed, it's a serious problem. Lining cat litter trays?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your insistence on "polite and creative" limits possible suggestions! Especially he polite bit. None of your readers would be impolite....would they? But if it is true that the exception proves the rule, maybe speaking of The Tablet could be the permissible exception.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bathroom hygiene paper for heretics awaiting Auto da Fe?

    Sorry!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lfooter : very ungreen , your autodafe and my bonfire will produce a virtual carbon footprint marking out the catholic commentosphere for thoughtcrime or worse...

      Delete
  5. Papiermache:
    tear up and/or into thin strips.
    Moisten with water + dissolved white wood glue or wallpaper paste ,cover balloon with (for heads, masks, etc, in any case, , mould ,press, dry, and paint.
    Trays, masks, statues, effigies,etc.
    I feel the date itself has become too compromised to catholicize for kids, otherwise I would favour the Catholic (prior to -USA-civic/cum prod ) All Hallow's eve, in some parts of Canada:
    School or parish hall/neighbour's barn.Nosh ,squash,booze for grownups.(Applebob if you must)
    Kids put on playlets: lives of saints, esp martyrs, esp as-yet-uncanonized martyrs.Papiermache? For (Now ST., then not)Thomas More's head, horns for devil temptors, papier mache axe blades painted grey on the head'sman's axe, similar other saints and martyrs.
    (Imagine:Firework at execution with devil tempting Thomas as axe comes down, , scene revealed again, foreground headsman lifts up Thmas head dripping ketchup whilst st michael stomps devil, backgrpound or stage right thomas being welcomed by St peter , with large papiermache keys, I tell you the Us prods didnt make up their halloween for civics but from envy)
    Morning mass on the morrow.
    Perhaps more tempting, a variant Levant village custom for Midsummer's eve , St John'eve: Papieramche parts of effigies of the devil n famous murderers, for the burning of on bonfires. Wire arranments can be made to supend same from tree, then launch into bonfire when this is well alight.
    Sufficently polite and creative?- not original customs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Re: cat litter trays. My two Monsignori ripped the Tablet to shreds (leaving the Catholic Herald unscathed) but wouldn't use it in their litter trays...

    ReplyDelete
  7. In my youth long before Izal toilet paper was invented we had sheets of newspaper hanging from a nail behind the door of the water closet.Perhaps the wretched rag could be put to a similar use. Do you think an indulgence could be attached to such a penitential act!!.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We could use spills of The Pill for lighting bonfires on Henry VIII Day when it replaces Guy Fawkes Day.

    ReplyDelete
  9. In days of yore behind close door
    when Izal wernt invented
    hung Daily mail upon a nail
    not medicated nor scented.

    Now once more
    we face hard days
    and mothers purse is empty
    the bitter pill will fit the bill
    cause Izals too expensive.

    ReplyDelete