Newsletter Volume 32 Issue 10, Oct 2020
From The Editor
Home Entertainment
Yes, collectors are still revisiting, and sharing, some of their favourite old films Here are some links to films, from golden oldies to more recent. Some of them are only available for a short time, so get in quick to your favourite category:
FAMILY
Romantic Comedy – Often Screwball
Johnny Come Lately 1943 HD Starring James Cagney, some fight scenes but the ladies broker a peaceful settlement
“Starring James Cagney (Tom Richards) Grace George (Vinne McLeod) Hattie McDaniel (Aida The Maid) Marjorie Main ( Mary McGovern Saloon Owner)
A wandering homeless ex newspaper man Tom Richards helps a woman Vinnie Mcleod save her newspaper from the town villian W.M. Dougherty.”
1952 Monkey Business, screwball at times
A chemist finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when one of his chimpanzees finds the fountain of youth.
Stars: Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Hugh Marlowe
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044916/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm”
I Was A Male War Bride (1950, WW2, Full Movie, Romance, English) Romantic Comedy, screwball at times.
Stars: Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan, Marion Marshall
“Captain Henri Rochard of France is assigned to work with First Lieutenant Catherine Gates of the U. S. Army. Through a wacky series of misadventures, they fall in love and marry. When the w*r ends, Rochard tries to return to America like female w*r brides could under the auspices of America’s 1945 W*r Brides Act. Zany gender-confusing antics follow. Written by Thor Thapsigargin”
Miss Grant Takes Richmond 1949, Lucille Ball, William Holden Another screwball Romantic Comedy.
“For Ellen Grant (Ball), the worst student at the Woodruff Secretarial School, it comes as a great surprise when Dick Richmond (Holden) hires her to work at his realty company. Actually, it is her apparent empty-headedness that has won her the job. The real estate firm, and now Ellen, are merely fronts for a bookmaking operation run from the back of the office, where Dick and his associates, Gleason (James Gleason) and Kilcoyne (Frank McHugh), take bets on races”
Louisa (1950), a classic romantic comedy
Ronald Reagan, Charles Coburn, Ruth Hussey, Spring Byington, Edmund Gwynn
“To her family’s discomfiture, grandmother Louisa starts dating two men…a grocer and her son’s boss.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042687/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0”
She’s the man,2006 Amanda Bynes, Laura Ramsey, Channing Tatum |Screwball, inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night
“When her brother decides to ditch for a couple weeks, Viola heads over to his elite boarding school, disguised as him, and proceeds to fall for his school’s star soccer player, and soon learns she’s not the only one with romantic troubles.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454945/ ”
His Girl Friday | 1941
Cary Grant vs. Rosalind Russell in newsroom chaos chasing down the biggest story of the century while rekindling an old romance.
Pot o’ Gold (1941) | Full Movie | James Stewart, Paulette Goddard, Horace Heidt
“Jimmy goes to work with his uncle, the owner of a food factory. Before he gets there, he befriends an Irish family who happens to be his uncle’s worst enemy because of their love for music and in-house band who constantly practices.”
SUMMERHOOD 2008 Comedy Romantic John Cusack
“A summer camp comedy…about the horrors of being ten. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0819735/”
“A sweet and serrated summer camp comedy—Narrated by JOHN CUSACK with an incredible 80’s soundtrack. Join the conversation: Send comments & questions about #Summerhood to the Writer/Director @ https://twitter.com/JacobMedjuck. “Had me gut laughing” – Ain’t It Cool News “One of the best films about childhood, EVER” – Collider The film was invited to screen at PIXAR and Harvard. And won BEST FEATURE and AUDIENCE AWARDs at over a dozen festivals.”
Romantic Drama
Penny Serenade (1941) IRENE DUNNE/CARY GRANT, classic love at first sight but a tear-jerker at times
“In this flawless blend of heartbreak and humor, a wife contemplating divorce reflects on the ups and downs of her marriage. Cary Grant received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.”
Meet Bill
“Bill (Aaron Eckhart) is unhappy: he’s married a banker’s daughter and has a non-job at the bank; his wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks) is tied to daddy’s purse-strings; and, Bill is developing a gut from lack of exercise and constantly eating candy bars. He dreams of buying a donut franchise to be independent of Jess’s dad. Bill is roped into a mentoring program at his old prep school, assigned a smart-mouthed kid (Logan Lerman) who pops up when least expected. When Jess starts an affair with Chip (Timothy Olyphant), a local TV personality and vain Rob Lowe look-alike, it sends Bill, the kid, and a young sales clerk from a lingerie shop (Jessica Alba) on a quest to win back Jess and get the donuts.”
The First Time (1982) TV movie with Jennifer Jason Leigh full movie (upgrade)
“An emotionally troubled teenage girl (Jennifer Jason Leigh) runs away from home to be with her boyfriend in San Diego. This channel is a tribute to my favorite actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. None of the videos on this channel are commercially available. If any become available (and I hope they do) I will remove them immediately. All Jennifer Jason Leigh, all the time on jjlchannel & jjlchannel2.”
KIDS
Heidi – Feature Film, Animated
“This feature film stays true to the spirit of the popular “Heidi” fables. Little orphan girl Heidi spends her childhood happily with her Grandfather in the Swiss mountains. But when taken to live in the city with a wealthy family, she needs to adapt to this situation.”
The Little Bear Movie
“The popular star of the successful TV show makes his big screen debut in the delightful movie, Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear: The Movie, based on the Little Bear books written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
The film brings Little Bear face to face with the great outdoors and a new friend named Cub. Duck, Owl, Hen and Cat join in this adventure that celebrates friendship, family and individuality.”
A CHRISTMAS CAROL | FULL MOVIE BB KIDS TV
“An animated retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.”
CRIME
Capricorn One (1977) Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson, Hal Holbrook, Karen Black, Telly Savalas
“A NASA Mars mission won’t work, and its funding is endangered, so they decide to fake it just this once. But then they have to keep the secret.”
A Prize of Arms (1962) Stanley Baker, Helmut Schmid, Tom Bell
“A criminal gang sets out to pull off the heist of a large army payroll.”
Roses Are Red (1947) CRIME NOIR
“Stars: Don Castle, Peggy Knudsen, Patricia Knight
Director: James Tinling
A newly-elected district attorney is kidnapped just before he takes office by the town’s crooked political boss with the intention of replacing him with an ex-convict who is his exact double! Outstanding supporting cast with Charles McGraw, Jeff Chandler, and James Arness !”
WAR
49th parallel Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier, Eric Portman
A World War II U-boat crew are stranded in northern Canada. To avoid internment, they must make their way to the border and get into the still-neutral U.S.
https://flickvault.com/watch/131
Hostile Waters – Thriller, Military, History, Starring: Rutger Hauer, Martin Sheen, Max von Sydow The “True story of how an antiquated Soviet Project 667a “Yankee” Class Submarine, K-219 collides with a Hunter Killer “Los Angeles” Class American submarine causing a leakage in the K-219’s missile bays, almost leading to nuclear meltdown in it’s reactors off the shores of Bermuda. “
WESTERN
Open Range 2003 Bluray 720p DTS x264 CHD
Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon,
A great western from Kevin Costner. One of his best films.
MARLON BRANDO One Eyed Jacks (1961)
“After robbing a Mexican bank, Dad Longworth takes the loot and leaves his partner Rio to be captured but Rio escapes and searches for Dad in California.
Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Pina Pellicer, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055257/ ”
POLITICAL
Hell Drivers – 1957 – Black & White – PG – YouTube
‘Hell Drivers (1957) is a British film drama directed by Cy Endfield and starring Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins and Patrick McGoohan. The film was produced by the Rank Organisation and Aqua Film Productions. The film revolves around a recently released convict who takes a driver’s job at a haulage company.
Hell Drivers is notable as being an early film for several actors who later went on to more illustrious careers. It provided early appearances for Jill Ireland and David McCallum, who met and married during the film’s production. It featured Danger Man and The Prisoner actor Patrick McGoohan, and was the third film role for Sean Connery. William Hartnell was the first actor to play the role of The Doctor in the BBC’s Doctor Who; Gordon Jackson appeared as the butler Hudson in ITV’s Upstairs, Downstairs. Sid James was a regular supporting actor in British films at the time and appeared in most of the Carry On series. Herbert Lom starred in the ABC Television series The Human Jungle before playing the hapless Commissioner Dreyfus in The Pink Panther film franchise. Cy Endfield directed Stanley Baker in Zulu. Others including Robin Bailey, Charles Lamb, John Horsley and Wensley Pithey featured regularly in British films and television thereafter. Long-established actor Wilfrid Lawson also made an appearance. In 1966, he co-starred with Patrick McGoohan in the final black-and-white episode of Danger Man, “Not So Jolly Roger”.’
Ladies Who Do (1963) Peggy Mount, Robert Morley, Harry H. Corbett
‘The “Ladies Who Do” are office cleaners. One of them discovers some hot stock tips and they make a fortune. They then make good use of it to save their old neighbourhoods from the wicked developer.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057241/ ‘
The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron is an American television movie aired by CBS in January 2003, which was based on the book Anatomy of Greed by Brian Cruver. The film, which stars Brian Dennehy, Christian Kane and Mike Farrell, and was directed by Penelope Spheeris, was a ratings hit for the network.
Pandemic, a 2007 Hallmark Tv movie series starring, Tiffani Thiessen, French Stewart, Faye Dunaway, Eric Roberts
“The bird flu virus spreads through Los Angeles as a doctor from the CDC races to find a vaccine.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0802821/”
INSPIRATIONAL
Lad: A Yorkshire Story (Award Winning Drama)
“A teenage boy forms a friendship with a park ranger in the Yorkshire Dales after the death of his father.
Director: Dan Hartley Writer: Dan Hartley Stars: Nancy Clarkson, Mario Demetriou, Oliver Exley When Tom Proctor’s dad dies his world falls apart; his brother joins the army, his mum is threatened with eviction and he faces a criminal prosecution after spreading manure over the local bank. All this changes however when Tom meets park ranger Al Thorpe in this inspiring story of two individuals overcoming adversity and finding true friendship. Winner of 20 international film festival awards, including Best Film, Best Actor and Best director”
A Christmas Carol (1951) | Fantasy Drama Movie |
“Starring Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Michael Hordern and George Cole.”
Cornell Chronicle
Community honors Toni Morrison with ‘Bluest Eye’ reading
By Kathy Hovis, writer for the College of Arts and Sciences, October 13, 2020
“A total of 122 readers, plus a number of Cornell musicians, paid tribute to the late Toni Morrison, M.A. ’55, on Oct. 8 during a marathon reading of “The Bluest Eye,” her debut novel, which was released 50 years ago.”
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/10/community-honors-toni-morrison-bluest-eye-reading
(QESP Editor’s Note: Wikipedia gives details of the initial and ongoing controversy, and the progress to the current inspiring result. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bluest_Eye
SCI-FI
Steins Gate The Movie Dubbed Anime
“After discovering time travel, a university student and his colleagues must use their knowledge of it to stop an evil organization and their diabolical plans.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1910272/ ”
Sci-Fi Short Film “A Date in 2025” 13 minutes
In the year 2025, a young man’s superintelligent AI system tells him that he must go on a date or face certain suicide from loneliness.
– (QESP Editor’s Note: If anyone has a favourite old film to share, send the link to me at tedsmillie@yahoo.com . Thanks, Ted )
Humour
CrazyLegs TikTok Video featuring Obama and Trump
https://www.facebook.com/CrazyLegs5678/videos/10218655076590429
CCTV_IDIOTS@cctv_idiots
From Men’s Logic Oct 17, 2020
Instant bond ? pic.twitter.com/EVssuNTcfc
— CCTV_IDIOTS (@cctv_idiots) October 17, 2020
Some Deep Thoughts From Jack Handey’s Saturday Night Live years, which may be even more relevant nowadays
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.
Marta says the interesting thing about fly fishing is that it’s two lives connected by a thin strand. Come on, Marta. Grow up.
Broken promises don’t upset me. I just think, why did they believe me?
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself:
“Mankind”. Basically, it’s made up of two separate words – “mank” and “ind”.
What do these words mean ? It’s a mystery, and that’s why so is mankind.
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
Marta was watching the football game with me when she said, “You know, most of
these sports are based on the idea of one group protecting its territory from
invasion by another group.”
“Yeah,” I said, trying not to laugh.
Girls are funny.
I have to laugh when I think of the first cigar, because it was probably just
a bunch of rolled-up tobacco leaves.
The big, huge meteor headed toward the Earth. Could nothing stop it Maybe Bob could. He was suddenly on top of the meteor through some kind of space warp or something. ‘Go, Bob, go’ yelled one of the generals. ‘Give me that’ said the big guy general as he took the microphone away. ‘Listen, Bob,’ he said. ‘You’ve got to steer that meteor away from Earth.’ ‘Yes, but how’ thought Bob. Then he got an idea. Right next to him there was a steering wheel sticking out of the meteor.
If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you’ll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy. It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
(QESP Editor’s Note: A DatingScout Ashley Madison Review October 2020 shows 535,000 Members from Australia and global membership figures and activities peaking since August 2020. Women who are seeking men are free to use all of the site’s features. For other members (women seeking women; men seeking men; men seeking women, etc.), they have to purchase credits to be able to enjoy the site and initiate communication to other members. See https://www.datingscout.com.au/ashley-madison/review
Somehow this put me in mind of this poem:
On a Wag in Mauchline
by Robert Burns
Lament him, Mauchline husbands a’,
He aften did assist ye;
For had ye stayed whole years awa’,
Your wives they ne’er had missed ye.
Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye pass
To school in bands thegither,
O tread ye lightly o his grass–
Perhaps he was your father.)
Politics
(QESP Editor’s Note: A survey by Consumer group Choice reports on ABC NewsRadio 29 Oct 2020, that to be effective against coronavirus, hand sanitisers should contain 60% to 80% alcohol. Based on previous experience, one might wonder if this would encourage President Trump to drink it.)
Survey finds Australians don’t know enough about hand sanitisers
“Consumer group Choice has called for government-funded spot checks of hand sanitisers, saying many products are not what they claim to be..
Choice says a survey found that many people incorrectly believed that alcohol free sanitisers would protect them from becoming infected with coronavirus.”
On 29 Oct 2020, ABC NewsRadio’s Ali Crew speaks with Dean Price, Health campaigner at Choice, who reports that to be effective against coronavirus, hand sanitisers should contain 60% to 80% alcohol.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/newsradio/survey-finds-australians-dont-know-enough-about/12826756
(QESP Editor’s Note: My January 4th, 2015 article on The Big Bad Data Debate had another international full text read on ResearchGate on 25th October 2020. My guess is that the continuing interest relates to lack of trust in Government. In October 2020 the level of distrust is probably worse than it was in January 2015.
Reader comments are welcome: Send to me at tedsmillie@yahoo.com . Thanks, Ted.)
Another shocking report on Government corruption comes in an Oct 24, 2020 Michael West article by Michelle Fahy, Murder, corruption, bombings – the company at centre of Australia’s submarine deal.
(Interestingly, on April 28 2016, Crikey published an Asia-Pacific article by Michael Sainsbury,
Global trail of murder, corruption dogs Australia’s newest defence contractor, with the subtitle
The company contracted to build Australia’s next fleet of submarines has a shadowy, unresolved past.)
Now Reddit joins in, see
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/jgwrit/murder_corruption_bombings_the_company_at_centre/
and a cartoon from Cathy Wilcox, https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/jg9ifq/now_is_never_the_time_cathy_wilcox_in_the_age/
Naming and Blaming
By Ted Smillie, 31 October 2020
Naming and blaming has been part of the October 2020 level of distrust, see:
When We Talk About Fox News, We Need to Talk About the Murdoch Family Too
The Murdochs own Fox News but rarely get the scrutiny they deserve for bankrolling racism and hatred.
By Peter Maass October 24 2020
Also from The Intercept, an October 24 2020 article by Robert Mackey,
Trump’s Pathetic Attempt to Get Netanyahu to Attack Biden Falls Flat
Donald Trump offered a public performance of the abuse of office he was impeached for last year, this time as farce
Crikey joins the argument with an OCT 28, 2020 article from CHRISTOPHER WARREN,
A fake news code won’t fact-check the internet
Australia is making small steps in the mission to pressure big tech platforms to take responsibility for disinformation. Will it be enough?
On the other hand, the spooky men’s new song is titled “we do not speak your name”. Stephen Taberner explains why in the 28 OCT 2020 edition of The Parody Project:
“dear world
the spooky men would consider that it’s not melodramatic to say that we find ourselves at a very dangerous point in history, as archetypical small men everywhere in the big wider world try to get their mean little hooks into everything. we’ve always wished to commentate on this, musically, but it’s so much better if we can make it funny….and that’s been getting much, much harder.
we know that our work is always subtly political, but there are things to say head on about the rise of certain of these small men: one in particular. so I wrote a song. we never performed this song, because it didn’t yet have the right ending, and also because we felt that it’s heaviness was too much for our spookiness to carry…and we didn’t want to give that heaviness to you.
but now, it feels too important a song not to sing, and too important a time not to share.
it’s called “we do not speak your name”…and we are very. very proud of it. it’s here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzfjmcPXqkg
we do ask, if this song makes sense to you, and you regard the underlying issues as important, that you do share it massively, relentlessly and tenderlly, especially to your connections in the USA.
the very best of spooky love to you
stephen taberner
spookmeister
ps, if facebook is more your thing, you can find it there too, at https://www.facebook.com/spookymen”
https://parodyproject.com/we-do-not-speak-your-name-the-spooky-mens-chorale-stephen-taberner/
Other COVID-19 News
The 29 Oct issue of Crikey Worm reports that “Elsewhere, The Sydney Morning Herald reports the state government is considering increasing the number of quarantine “health hotels” following a spike in returned travellers testing positive.
The paper also reports that more than 1500 aged care homes had their requests for personal protective equipment from the National Medical Stockpile rejected by the Department of Health; for context, lack of PPE was one of several issues identified by the aged care royal commission’s special COVID-19 report.”
OPINION
Science
(QESP Editor’s Note: It’s No Joke!
Phyllis Diller once joked “Doctors say it’s okay to have sex after a heart attack, provided you close the ambulance door.”
Now doctors are even more optimistic. See below)
Reviving cells after a heart attack
Researchers unravel the healing mechanisms of extracellular vesicles and demonstrate their healing power on a heart-on-a-chip
Date: October 14, 2020
Source: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Summary:
Researchers have unraveled potential mechanisms behind the healing power of extracellular vesicles and demonstrated their capacity to not only revive cells after a heart attack but keep cells functioning while deprived of oxygen during a heart attack. The researchers demonstrated this functionality in human tissue using a heart-on-a-chip with embedded sensors that continuously tracked the contractions of the tissue.
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Reviving cells after a heart attack: Researchers unravel the healing mechanisms of extracellular vesicles and demonstrate their healing power on a heart-on-a-chip.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2020.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014171322.htm
Interactions within larger social groups can cause tipping points in contagion flow
Date: October 20, 2020
Source: American Institute of Physics
Summary: Contagion processes, such as opinion formation or disease spread, can reach a tipping point, where the contagion either rapidly spreads or dies out. When modeling these processes, it is difficult to capture this complex transition.
American Institute of Physics. “Interactions within larger social groups can cause tipping points in contagion flow.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 October 2020.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201020111333.htm
University of Tokyo. “Simple software creates complex wooden joints: An interactive system to design and fabricate structurally sound wood joints.”
Date: October 21, 2020
Source: University of Tokyo
Summary: Wood is considered an attractive construction material for both aesthetic and environmental purposes. Construction of useful wood objects requires complicated structures and ways to connect components together. Researchers created a novel 3D design application to hugely simplify the design process and also provide milling machine instructions to efficiently produce the designed components. The designs do not require nails or glue, meaning items made with this system can be easily assembled, disassembled, reused, repaired or recycled.
University of Tokyo. “Simple software creates complex wooden joints: An interactive system to design and fabricate structurally sound wood joints.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201021112402.htm
Purdue University. “This beetle can survive getting run over by a car; Engineers are figuring out how.”
Date: October 21, 2020
Source: Purdue University
Summary: Getting run over by a car is not a near-death experience for the diabolical ironclad beetle. How the beetle survives could inspire the development of new materials with the same herculean toughness, engineers show.
Purdue University. “This beetle can survive getting run over by a car; Engineers are figuring out how.”
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201021112341.htm
The thousands of “Trumpcare” ads Facebook and Google have published show that the shadowy “lead generation” economy has a happy home on the platforms — and even big names like UnitedHealthcare take part.
by Jeremy B. Merrill for ProPublica and Marshall Allen, ProPublica
We vibrated earthworms to learn about safely connecting human brains to computers
This Ig Nobel-winning research is shedding light on how ultrasound waves could be used to non-invasively control nerve impulses (and therefore ‘thoughts’) in our brains.
October 21, 2020 Ivan Maksymov, Australian Research Council Future Fellow (Senior Lecturer), Swinburne University of Technology
Disclosure statement
Ivan Maksymov receives funding from the Australian Research Council
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jujyhuut-ihihuyyuhh-yk/
At the heart of the broken model for funding aged care is broken trust. Here’s how to fix it
Part of the solution might be a Medicare-style levy.
October 22, 2020 Rafal Chomik, UNSW
Disclosure statement
Rafal Chomik works for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research which receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jujtludt-ihihuyyuhh-k/
New modelling finds investing in childcare and aged care almost pays for itself
“In the absence of an official analysis of the impact of the budget by gender the National Foundation for Australian Women has this morning published its own gender analysis of the budget, across multiple dimensions.”
October 19, 2020 Janine Dixon, Economist at Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University
Helen Hodgson, Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University
Disclosure statement
Helen Hodgson has received funding from the ARC, AHURI and CPA Australia. Helen is a the Chair of the Social Policy Committee and a Director of the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW), and is on the Tax and Superannuation Advisory Panel of ACOSS. Helen was a Member of the WA Legislative Council in WA from 1997 to 2001, elected as an Australian Democrat. She is not a current member of any political party. She is a Registered Tax Agent and a member of the SMSF Association.
Janine Dixon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jujrudit-ihihuyyuhh-x/
NHS Using Drones to Deliver Coronavirus Kits Between Hospitals
The Guardian (U.K.) Aaron Walawalkar October 17, 2020
“The U.K. National Health Service (NHS) is testing drones for the transport of Covid-19 samples, blood tests, and personal protective equipment between hospitals. Remote-controlled drones initially will fly between Essex’s Broomfield hospital, Basildon hospital, and Basildon’s Pathology First laboratory. The project was conceived by healthcare drone startup Apian, and funded by a £1.3-million ($1.6-million) grant from the U.K. Space Agency, in the hope of establishing a network of air corridors for drones to navigate using global-positioning systems. The drone is engineered to fly at an altitude of 90 meters (300 feet) and withstand harsh weather. It is hoped that drones will shorten waiting times for couriers, free up NHS personnel, reduce unnecessary physical contact, and minimize the risk of secondary coronavirus transmission.”
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-27924x325a4dx092152&
Explainer: what is the electricity transmission system, and why does it need fixing?
“Shifting Australia to a low-emissions energy system is a big challenge. Much has been said of the need to change the electricity generation mix, from mostly fossil fuels to mostly renewables. Yet our electricity transmission network must also be overhauled.”
October 16, 2020 Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute
Disclosure statement
Tony Wood owns shares in various companies, including in the energy and resources sector, through his superannuation fund.
UN report says up to 850,000 animal viruses could be caught by humans, unless we protect nature
“Human damage to biodiversity is leading us into a pandemic era. The virus that causes COVID-19, for example, is linked to similar viruses in bats, which may have been passed to humans via pangolins or another species.”
October 30, 2020 Authors, Katie Woolaston, Lawyer, Queensland University of Technology
Judith Lorraine Fisher, Adjunct Professor University of Western Australia, Institute of Agriculture
Disclosure statement
Katie Woolaston consults with IPBES and was one of the co-authors of the IPBES Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics. All views expressed in this article are my own.
Judith Lorraine Fisher is affiliated with the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of IPBES and a member of the Scientific Steering Committee for the Biodiversity and Pandemics Report, however all views expressed in this article are my own
https://theconversation.cmail19.com/t/r-l-jutljhdk-ihihuyyuhh-z/
Generating Photons for Communication in Quantum Computing System
MIT News Michaela Jarvis October 7, 2020
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a technique for inducing quantum bits (qubits) to generate photons to enable quantum processor communication, a key step in achieving interconnections for a modular quantum computing platform. The architecture features superconducting qubits connected to a microwave transmission line or waveguide, with quantum interconnects needed to link qubits at distant locations. Communication occurs in the waveguide as excitations stored within the qubits produce photon pairs, which are emitted into the waveguide and travel to two distant processing nodes, distributing their entanglement throughout a quantum network. Said MIT’s Bharath Kannan, the entanglement “can then be transferred into the processors for use in quantum communication or interconnection protocols.”
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-27886x3259d0x092151&
FBI/DHS: Government Systems Face Threat From Zerologon Exploits
Ars Technica Dan Goodin October 9, 2020
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have detected attackers exploiting a Windows vulnerability (Zerologon) against state and local governments, in some cases threatening election systems. Members of unspecific advanced persistent threats are using Zerologon to grant hackers who already have infiltrated susceptible networks access to domain controllers, which allocate new accounts and manage current ones. To gain initial access, attackers are exploiting flaws in firewalls, virtual private networks, and other products from companies like Juniper, Pulse Secure, Citrix, and Palo Alto Networks. Patches were issued for all the identified vulnerabilities, but FBI and DHS warned not everyone has installed them.
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-27886x3259c9x092151&
Japan Supercomputer Shows Humidity Affects Aerosol Spread of Coronavirus
Reuters Rocky Swift October 14, 2020
Humidity can have a major impact on the dispersion of virus particles, according to a study by researchers at Kobe University in Japan and research giant Riken. The researchers modeled the emission and flow of virus-like particles from infected people in a variety of indoor environments using the Fugaku supercomputer. The simulations showed more than double the amount of aerosolized particles in the air when humidity was lower than 30%, compared to when the humidity was 60% or higher. This suggests coronavirus contagion risks could increase in dry, indoor conditions during the winter months. The researchers also found clear face shields less effective than masks in curtailing the spread of aerosols.
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-27886x3259c7x092151&
Government Blamed for ‘Inaction’ as Fatality Toll Rises
The Federal Government has been accused of ‘dragging its feet’ on work health and safety reform, as new SWA statistics reveal the national work-related fatality has increased for the first time in more than a decade. 183 workers died in 2019, 38 more than in 2018, with the biggest increases coming in transport (58 compared to 38) and across NSW (61 compared to 47). The rate of claims through workers’ comp’ for serious injuries increased in agriculture, manufacturing, transport and logistics as well as health, community, and personal services.
Novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19
Date: October 15, 2020
Source: The University of Hong Kong
Summary: Researchers have discovered a novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19 using existing metallodrugs.
The University of Hong Kong. “Novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201015101807.htm
Aerosols vs. droplets: Researchers model the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in various temperatures and relative humidities in typical indoor situations
Date: October 14, 2020
Source: University of California – Santa Barbara
Summary: A new study investigates the secret of the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s unusual success: its transmissibility, or how it manages to get from host to host. The dominant mode, it turns out, changes according to environmental conditions.
University of California – Santa Barbara. “Aerosols vs. droplets: Researchers model the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in various temperatures and relative humidities in typical indoor situations.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014141026.htm
Bringing a power tool from math into quantum computing
October 14, 2020
Source: Tokyo University of Science
Summary: The Fourier transform is a mathematical operation essential to virtually all fields of physics and engineering. Although there already exists an algorithm that computes the Fourier transform in quantum computers, it is not versatile enough for many practical applications. In a recent study, scientists tackle this problem by designing a novel quantum circuit that calculates the Fourier transform in a much quicker, versatile, and more efficient way.
Tokyo University of Science. “Bringing a power tool from math into quantum computing.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014114615.htm
Inside the Fall of the CDC
“How the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by a virus, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders, causing damage that could last much longer than the coronavirus.
by James Bandler, Patricia Callahan, Sebastian Rotella and Kirsten Berg Oct. 15, 1:12 p.m. EDT”
Woolworths Launches Automated eStore in Melbourne
News.com.au
Kathy Skantzos, October 9, 2020
“Woolworths in Australia is using technology to accelerate delivery of online orders and potentially improve order accuracy, starting with an automated eStore at its Carrum Downs supermarket in Melbourne. The rollout also could help reduce aisle congestion for in-store customers, as Woolworths’ personal shoppers choose most items from inventory without having to enter the store. The system, produced by eGrocery automation vendor Takeoff Technologies, reportedly will help the store fulfill five times the online order volumes of a standard Woolworths outlet. Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the automation “dramatically improves the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of the picking process” of thousands of online orders delivered to customers in southeast Melbourne suburbs every week.”
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-277e7x32591fx092179&
Privatised VET and Coalition’s wage schemes no fix for Australia’s skills chasm
BY BRUCE MACKENZIE
Software spots and fixes hang bugs in seconds, rather than weeks
“Hang bugs – when software gets stuck, but doesn’t crash – can frustrate both users and programmers, taking weeks for companies to identify and fix. Now researchers have developed software that can spot and fix the problems in seconds.”
North Carolina State University. “Software spots and fixes hang bugs in seconds, rather than weeks.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201013101619.htm
Setting a TRAP for pandemic-causing viruses
“A new laboratory technique quickly sifts through trillions of synthetic proteins to find ones that can target viruses, helping healthcare authorities rapidly respond to evolving pandemics.”
Nagoya University. “Setting a TRAP for pandemic-causing viruses.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201008142046.htm
How worried should I be about news the coronavirus survives on surfaces for up to 28 days?
October 14, 2020 Lara Herrero, Griffith University; Eugene Madzokere, Griffith University
Disclosure statement
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
https://theconversation.cmail19.com/t/r-l-juykjdg-ihihuyyuhh-v/
Could Schrödinger’s cat exist in real life? Our research may soon provide the answer
October 15, 2020 Stefan Forstner, The University of Queensland
“We identify an experimental method which could finally reveal whether objects much larger than atoms – such as humans or animals – can exist in several places at once”.
https://theconversation.cmail19.com/t/r-l-juykjdg-ihihuyyuhh-s/
Economics Academy with Richard Denniss
The Australia Institute
“Economics is the science of the efficient allocation of scarce resources, but what does that mean in real life? What is ‘opportunity cost’ and why does it matter? What happens when markets fail?
Every fortnight the Australia Institute chief economist, Richard Denniss, will help you answer these questions and more.
We’ll take you through some of the basic principles of economics, help you spot the bullsh*t, and cut through the econobabble so that you feel more confident to participate in and understand the national economics debate.
*No prior knowledge of economics is necessary to participate*
The Australia Institute’s Economics Academy is FREE and open to anyone, but registration is essential > https://us02web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_a03rVwjxTi2e-2ONdnGSMw”
https://www.facebook.com/events/341081767328512/
The Inside Story of MacKenzie Scott, the Mysterious 60-Billion-Dollar Woman
“Amazon’s first employee, Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife, and one of the world’s richest women is rewriting the philanthropy playbook”
Stephanie Clifford Oct 6·22 min read
116 Organizations Driving Change
MacKenzie Scott Jul 29·5 min read
“Last year I pledged to give the majority of my wealth back to the society that helped generate it, to do it thoughtfully, to get started soon, and to keep at it until the safe is empty. There’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others.
Like many, I watched the first half of 2020 with a mixture of heartbreak and horror. Life will never stop finding fresh ways to expose inequities in our systems; or waking us up to the fact that a civilization this imbalanced is not only unjust, but also unstable. What fills me with hope is the thought of what will come if each of us reflects on what we can offer. Opportunities that flowed from the mere chance of skin color, sexual orientation, gender, or zip code may have yielded resources that can be powerful levers for change. People troubled by recent events can make new connections between privileges they’ve enjoyed and benefits they’ve taken for granted. From there, many will choose to share some of what they have with people whose equal participation is essential to the construction of a better world.”
https://medium.com/@mackenzie_scott/116-organizations-driving-change-67354c6d733d
What if Local and Diverse Is Better Than Networked and Global?
Helena Norberg-Hodge has been arguing for localism since the 1970s, but the pandemic is making the Australian activist-scholar’s ideas more relevant than ever.
By Damien Cave
Oct. 9, 2020
Here Comes the Internet of Plastic Things, No Batteries or Electronics Required
IEEE Spectrum
Dexter Johnson October 8, 2020
Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a technique for three-dimensionally (3D) printing plastic objects that communicate with Wi-Fi devices without batteries or electronics. The method applies Wi-Fi backscatter technology to 3D geometry to create easy-to-print wireless devices using commodity 3D printers. The researchers built non-electronic analogues for each electronic component using plastic filaments, then integrated them into a single computational design. Explained UW’s Shyam Gollakota, “We are using mechanism actuation to transmit information wirelessly from these plastic objects.” The team has released its computer-aided design (CAD) models to 3D-printing hobbyists so that they can create their own Internet of Things objects.
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/trk/click?ref=znwrbbrs9_6-2769dx325762x092866&
Nobel Prize: two women scientists share chemistry prize for the first time for work on ‘genetic scissors’
October 8, 2020, by Kalpana Surendranath, Senior Lecturer in Molecular biology and Microbiology, Leader of Genome Engineering Lab, University of Westminster.
Disclosure statement
Kalpana Surendranath receives funding from Children with Cancer UK and Quintin Hogg Trust.
“Emmanuelle Charpentier, director at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Germany, and Jennifer Doudna, professor of biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, US, are the joint winners of the Nobel prize in chemistry 2020 for the development of a precise method of editing genomes.”
BHP increases the pace of innovation with mixed reality and IoT
By Lilia Guan | Oct 6, 2020
“The Pilbara is a remote and ancient landscape in the north of Western Australia.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Australia mining company BHP was still able to innovate during lockdown.”
https://ciotechasia.com/bhp-increases-the-pace-of-innovation-with-mixed-reality-and-iot/
Federal government did not prepare aged care sector adequately for COVID: royal commission
October 2, 2020 by Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Disclosure statement
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“The royal commission into aged care has said government did not prepare the sector well enough for the pandemic.
In a damning report the commission rejected the government’s repeated claim it had a plan for aged care, which is a federal responsibility.
The commission said that now “is not the time for blame” for what happened in aged care, where most of the Australian deaths have occurred – as at September 19, 629 out of 844 total deaths. The latest number of deaths from residential aged care is 665.”
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-juakda-ihihuyyuhh-m/
QESP Blog
Lessons from History
(QESP Editor’s Note: God, plagues and pestilence – what history can teach us about living through a pandemic, is an October 2, 2020 by Robyn J. Whitaker, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity)
Disclosure statement
Robyn J. Whitaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“Most of us are living through a year that is unprecedented in our lifetimes. Too young to remember the Spanish flu, we’ve grown up in a world where we take Western wonder drugs and life-saving vaccines for granted. We have no memory of a time when disease brought the world to a standstill or shut down entire economies. We could not have predicted life in Melbourne in 2020 would include a 5-kilometre travel limit or a curfew.
A longer view of history reminds us we are not the first community to experience and reflect on life during a time of plague or pandemic. So what might we learn from history as we continue to navigate life during a pandemic?”
https://theconversation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-juakda-ihihuyyuhh-o/
A link is provided to Martin Luther’s letter, [Republished with permission of Fortress Press]
To the Reverend Doctor Johann Hess, pastor at Breslau, and to his fellow-servants of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1527 A.D.)
Events
More news from Julian (Jolly) Day about Consensus and the #RebootAustralia movement, a platform which connects entrepreneurs and business leaders with professionals and experts that can help your business Reboot.
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GLOBAL MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE
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ACOSM 2020: Responsible Business Conduct
ACOSM 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. A new date will be advised when the restrictions have been lifted.
Quotes
Quote of the Day
I have seen no evidence of an advanced civilization visiting Earth. Fuzzy pics that are worse than a 7/11 security cam frame grab don’t count! – Elon Musk,
Quote from Yesteryear
“Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.”
Abraham Lincoln (in the context of The American Civil War of 1861 to 1865)
Ted Smillie
QESP Chair