Small bites

Published 8:00 am Sunday, June 26, 2022

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Baby jumpers

Each year in June moms in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia assemble in the town square and carefully place their newborn babies on strategically placed mattresses for the annual baby jumping festival known as El Salto del Colacho. A cadre of pious locals dressed in black chase El Colacho — the devil himself — forcing him to run and jump over the babies in a ceremony that is said to cleanse the infants, providing them with protection from disease and bad luck, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The festival, which dates back to 1620, begins with a rowdy, whip wielding assembly of locals chasing bystanders through the streets of the village.

 

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Author, author

Your average five-year-old may be content to have mom or dad read him or her a story once in a while. But Bella-Jay Dark, who lives in the town of Weymouth, UK, not only reads her books, she writes them, as well, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. Bella-Jay had her storybook, The Lost Cat, published by Ginger Fyre Press and it is available for purchase on Amazon. In addition to making her parents proud, Bella-Jay earned the Guinness Record title of youngest person to write and publish a book.

 

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She sought freedom

Her name is Happy and she was allegedly being held against her wishes, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. But the New York Court of Appeals ruled that she has no right to a writ of habeas corpus in order to seek her freedom simply because Happy is an elephant who is being detained in the Bronx Zoo. The petition was filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project, which sought to release her after 50 years in “captivity” at the zoo so that she can spend her remaining years in an elephant sanctuary. Five judges ruled against Happy, but two objected saying that though she may be an elephant she had a right to “freedom.”

 

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The 2.4 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at https://amac.us/join-amac.