— Thornton Wilder, born in 1897
Parliament will be meeting virtually for the first time in its history, here’s how it will work Independent
Newly discovered chemical in willow trees kills various cancer cells New Atlas
Extract from Cold River: A SANCTUARY OF THE HUMAN RIVER
White Christmas 1957
Swimming is the first thing we ever do.
Before we breathe, before we cry, before we crawl,
we swim in the waters of the womb. Then the walls close in
and we tumble-turn into position, ready to dive into the open
air.
- Fiona Capp in Sane Days
You will not believe me, my story cannot be believed, but you can only gain an understanding of my Mother's village if you visualise a colorless light of the Central European winter. The village had no beginning it was as eternal as water. Somewhere between Poland, Russia, Austria and Hungary was the Village's Black Creek covered in ice and snow.
A place where no villager could resist a small talk and gossip. Villagers trapped by a life they didn't choose, and had no control over the direction of their East Side Story.
Tucked away in the folds of the ancient mountains that embrace the Kezmarok and Poprad valleys lay a royal town called Vrbov (meaning "willow").
A weeping at times. But mostly happy little village of a few hundred souls with a robust sense of humour.
It gets dark early in December.
The Vrbov definition of winter: streets are snowbound, the road is quiet, the mountain air is very, very cold.
That day in 1957, Vrbov was gripped by mid winter night frostiness.
It was two evenings before Christmas Eve. Children and dogs no longer romped in the snow watched over by women wearing headscarves and long dresses. All the children were inside warm houses listening for the bells of Saint Nicholas' sleigh and motherly figures were bustling about with Christmas preparations.
Every twig is draped in red and green memory. Slowly, like the heavy curtain of a play's final act, white night descended upon the small mountain village.
It was impossible not to notice how suddenly the temperature dropped, and how the fragile
leaf-like frost built up icicle by icicle on the glass in the windows. Footpaths lay buried under piles of snow. Snowmen stood in public places lording over Vrbov territory. The village was all wrapped up in white like a giant Christmas present.
Is the golden age of TV over, and if so why? (FT)
GETTING SMARTER: We can learn from
the Black Death, Spanish flu, HIV/AIDS and SARS, which show how we’re better
off this time around.
Parliament will be meeting virtually for the first time in its history, here’s how it will work Independent
Clooney calls on Australia to adopt new laws in the name of press freedom
The high-profile international human rights lawyer is calling on the Morrison government to help protect journalists from human rights abuses around the world.
Facebook and Google have been ordered to pay Aussie media companies for publishing their news, in a world firstBusiness Insider (The Rev Kev)
To Be of Use
I want to be with people
Who submerge in the task,
Who go into the fields to harvest
And work in a row
And pass the bags along,
Who stand in the line
And haul in their places,
Who are not parlor generals
And field deserters
But move in a common rhythm
When the food must come in
Or the fire be put out.
Newly discovered chemical in willow trees kills various cancer cells New Atlas
“Truth always rests with the minority … because the minority is generally formed by those who really have an opinion, while the strength of a majority is illusory, formed by the gangs who have no opinion.”
White Christmas 1957
Swimming is the first thing we ever do.
Before we breathe, before we cry, before we crawl,
we swim in the waters of the womb. Then the walls close in
and we tumble-turn into position, ready to dive into the open
air.
- Fiona Capp in Sane Days
You will not believe me, my story cannot be believed, but you can only gain an understanding of my Mother's village if you visualise a colorless light of the Central European winter. The village had no beginning it was as eternal as water. Somewhere between Poland, Russia, Austria and Hungary was the Village's Black Creek covered in ice and snow.
A place where no villager could resist a small talk and gossip. Villagers trapped by a life they didn't choose, and had no control over the direction of their East Side Story.
Tucked away in the folds of the ancient mountains that embrace the Kezmarok and Poprad valleys lay a royal town called Vrbov (meaning "willow").
A weeping at times. But mostly happy little village of a few hundred souls with a robust sense of humour.
It gets dark early in December.
The Vrbov definition of winter: streets are snowbound, the road is quiet, the mountain air is very, very cold.
That day in 1957, Vrbov was gripped by mid winter night frostiness.
It was two evenings before Christmas Eve. Children and dogs no longer romped in the snow watched over by women wearing headscarves and long dresses. All the children were inside warm houses listening for the bells of Saint Nicholas' sleigh and motherly figures were bustling about with Christmas preparations.
Every twig is draped in red and green memory. Slowly, like the heavy curtain of a play's final act, white night descended upon the small mountain village.
It was impossible not to notice how suddenly the temperature dropped, and how the fragile
leaf-like frost built up icicle by icicle on the glass in the windows. Footpaths lay buried under piles of snow. Snowmen stood in public places lording over Vrbov territory. The village was all wrapped up in white like a giant Christmas present.
Is the golden age of TV over, and if so why? (FT)
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PETER SAINSBURY. Corona-myths: shifting the blame to preserve privilege. Part 2 of 2.
In Part 1 I explored seven myths about coronavirus that are being used to obscure the truth, shift responsibility and perpetuate existing power and privilege. In Part 2 I examine the failure over the last twenty years of governments and corporations to fulfil their risk management responsibilities to prevent and prepare for a viral pandemic. We need a new breed of managers if we want the post-COVID world to tackle the serious problems besetting humanity in the 21st century.
ROY GREEN. Australia’s Manufacturing Future. Part 2 of 2
The framework for a national industrial strategy can draw with great benefit from the experience of other countries, but it is important to recognise that such a strategy should also be adapted to the specific conditions and prospects of the Australian economy.Continue reading