I just watched your video Gareth, did you think to try different exposure speeds?

So did I, trust me I don’t wear Lycra! I wondered about padded shorts but thought it would look as if I was wearing incontinence pads.

Well I just earned mine, having dusted off my bike, inflated the tyres and went for a spin for the first time in as long as I can remember. I forgot how unforgiving the saddle is, not for nothing is it called a Hardrock! Ouch!

Thanks Martin, given the massive economic growth there and subsequent affluence I wonder how long they will keep wages and thus prices so low. It is sad to see old established firms resort to outsourcing in order to stay afloat whereas the reality is they only have their brand name left.

An excellent point Jonathan-Mac, but we have the choice of what to eat and can avoid those problems by so doing. A virulent virus OTH is indiscriminate, and I believe some of the most devastating pandemics namely Hong Kong flu, Asian flu and Spanish flu originated from the same region. That in itself isn’t a reason to condemn but the practices of exploiting wild and endangered species in cruel and needless ways in unhygienic conditions certainly is.

Ditto Jak, me too. So a Quixotic quest then, but consider this: after this many perfectly viable companies and institutions will have been seriously weakened and vulnerable to takeover at bargain basement prices by those able to take advantage: any guesses? A field day for conspiracy theorists of which I am not one.

Futile or not I prefer now to find alternatives to items of Chinese origin, they just leave a bad taste.

That’s not quite true, most food comes from elsewhere but I accept that Chinese goods are pretty ubiquitous. That in itself is a cause for concern on an economic level but I am not talking about that; the authoritarian Chinese regime is on course to becoming the world’s most powerful nation through economic and military domination and is oblivious to outside sensitivities unless that impacts economically. Ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales as well as other animal parts have seen a huge increase in demand from an increasingly affluent population for traditional medicines and food and it is from their markets that this disease has spread, creating massive human and economic damage globally. Every single one of us is affected and just as survivors’ lungs may be permanently damaged so will our economic circumstances. For me Chinese goods have become tainted by association and I would rather support manufacturers from elsewhere.

Oh that’s good!

Until next time. For thousands of people life will never return to normal. The World Health Organisation are pretty confident as to the source of the outbreak, they are looking for the species to which the virus crossed from bats and are investigatiing hygiene practices in the wet markets. It is outside their remit though to take a view on the use of endangered species.

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable about ordering Chinese made equipment given their record of animal abuse in supplying wet markets and the resultant epidemics of which Coronavirus is the latest?

Looking at Chinese lenses like Samyang and lighting such as Phottix in the current deals I hesitated and couldn’t bring myself to even shortlist anything. I know Chinese stuff is ubiquitous as components in all sorts of technological equipment including phones and computers so sifting everything is almost impossible but for me where there is a choice I am looking elsewhere even if it costs more.