#14 Weekend reads – another intense week in the news, ugh!

The blast in Beirut was devastating. You can’t imagine that happening where you live, especially if you’ve never lived in a war zone. Of course, the global conversation on the cause has begun in earnest. I find this need to theorize before we have all the facts very challenging and disconcerting. Something big has happened and we need to get to the bottom of it.

However, when we team up to discuss conspiracies, listening to arm chair experts or shock jocks, or blame others before we know the facts, real damage is done – and often it can’t be undone.

The BBC published this article: The inferno and the mystery ship – and I think it provides interesting context and background. Well worth your time.

Lebanon definitely needs our help right now. It was already a country facing famine, and now it will be in even more need of support. Let’s step up?

Another hot topic in my life is Melbourne, where most of my family and friends are living, and they seem to be going through one hell of a time. However, even after what we’ve seen when the virus gets out of control in other countries, the same resistance is seen on the other side of the world.

I mean look at the person taking a beating in the US? Fauci Reveals He Has Received Death Threats And His Daughters Have Been Harassed. In a pandemic, I’m on his side.

Humans are so confusing to me. Anyway, if you are struggling with how your community is behaving or talking about the pandemic at the moment, I wrote this blog on how to manage an Infodemic. It also talks about how you can handle your friends.

Charity

I’ve been sharing these two charities for a while now and will continue. Both of these organizations have unbelievable demands on them and it is going to increase significantly. Please, if you are able, donate to the UN Refugee Program and World Food Program. We must take care of each other!

Friends content

The Conscious Scoop: Overfishing 101 Green is the New Black, led by the fabulous Stephanie Dickson, are digging into important topics around the climate crisis. Overfishing is the first one. Take a look and support this amazing community.

I also published this blog – Are you taking the time to reflect and consider our collective future? An invitation… I’m on the organizing committee of this Convention and I really want to encourage my community to look at this event and consider supporting it. It’s inexpensive, but the quality is out of this world. Take a look and think about it. We all need to be reflecting and considering what needs to change right now.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading this last week. Obviously the news out of Beirut has taken most of our attention, but many other things going on in our crazy world right now.

Climate Crisis / 6^th Mass Extinction

Climate crisis: Out-of-control wildfires in Arctic circle released more CO2 in two months than whole of 2019

Oil spill threatens ecological disaster as Mauritius declares emergency

Almost 3 billion animals affected by Australian bushfires, report shows tks Marco Leoncelli

Coronavirus shows how to get people to act on climate change – here’s the psychology

Climate change: Satellites find new colonies of Emperor penguins

BP built its business on oil and gas. Now climate change is taking it apart.

Bill Gates: Another crisis looms and it could be worse than the coronavirus

Apple’s low-carbon aluminum is a climate game changer tks Susanna Hasenoehrl

COVID19

Coronavirus Melbourne: Victoria expected to record more than 650 new cases

Coronavirus: Victoria declares state of disaster after spike in cases

Birx Says U.S. Epidemic Is in a ‘New Phase’

Coronavirus: Iran cover-up of deaths revealed by data leak

Survival: Developing Countries On The Frontline

Cannabis May Reduce Deadly COVID-19 Lung Inflammation: Researchers Explain Why

Could We Cure CORONA? Tks Willie Wahlin

What Lockdown 2.0 Looks Like: Harsher Rules, Deeper Confusion

At breaking point: Singapore’s migrant workers struggle with isolation, anxiety amid COVID-19 curbs

Covid 19 coronavirus: US Government issues New Zealand travel warning due to its ’23 active cases’ tks Arishta Khanna

Social Issues

Daisy Coleman: Assault survivor in Netflix film takes own life tks Jennifer Villabalos

You Must Not ‘Do Your Own Research’ When It Comes To Science

America’s ‘untouchables’: the silent power of the caste system – very worthwhile read

African-Singaporean model, singer and dancer Keyana on racism in the Lion City, her internal battles and the N-word tks Laina Raveendran Greene

British Writer Pens The Best Description Of Trump I’ve Read tks Efi Haninkes

‘Inequality intertwined with environmental injustice’: Green groups in Singapore call for fairer treatment of migrant workers

Prince Andrew accused in court documents of ‘having orgy with under-aged girls’ tks Edward Alexander-Hamilton Williams

Global Politics

This Presidency is Killing Relationships—and We’re All Grieving tks Ava Diamond

Did UK Special Forces execute unarmed civilians?

‘We Share Your Pain’: Israel Offers Aid to Lebanon After Beirut Port Blast

Joe Biden has a good chance of becoming a surprisingly activist president

This powerful new ad uses a 2005 George Carlin rant to drive home the ugly reality of 2020 America tks Graham Harvey

Body Bags and Enemy Lists: How Far-Right Police Officers and Ex-Soldiers Planned for ‘Day X’

Army Officer Who Clashed With Trump Vows to Speak Out on Security Issues

Double, Double, Trump’s Toil, Our Trouble

$600 Unemployment: What Happens When a Stimulus Lifeline Ends

35 Best And Worst Countries To Raise A Family (You Won’t Believe America’s Ranking) tks David Lim

Big money donors are pressuring Joe Biden against picking Elizabeth Warren for VP: ‘He would lose the election’

YOU CAN’T EAT FROM AFRICA AND DISRESPECT US; KAGAME SAYS AS HE DEPORTS 18 CHINESE NATIONALS. tks David Lim

Hawaii set to welcome Canadians without quarantine restrictions starting Sept. 1

D.A. Is Investigating Trump and His Company Over Fraud, Filing Suggests

Donald Trump: US Treasury should get cut of TikTok deal

Beirut explosion: Frantic search for survivors of deadly blast

The Unraveling of America

Beirut: The bride being photographed in wedding dress as blast hit

Young Australia mostly agree on their hopes and fears for the future. Are leaders ready to listen? Tks Phillipa Edwards

Beirut Explosion: What Happened in Lebanon and Everything Else You Need to Know

‘Live And Let Die’ Plays At Trump Ohio Speech And Twitter Loses It tks Tom Kindermans

A Federal Court Ruled House Democrats Can Sue The Trump Administration When Its Officials Defy Subpoenas

Business and technology

Employers urging women to dress ‘sexier’ in video meetings, study finds tks Rohit Bassi

Facebook and Twitter restrict Trump accounts over ‘harmful’ virus claim

TikTok responds to Trump executive order: “We are shocked”

Celine Nails the Way TikTok Is Now Driving Fashion tks Joyce Ano

Tourism’s collapse could trigger next stage of the crisis

Microsoft to continue discussions on potential TikTok purchase in the United States

Can Killing Cookies Save Journalism? Tks Sarah Lewis

The Water Cooler: Black Lives Matter Enters the Conversation on LinkedIn

Passion, humour, history

House tour: the Melbourne mansion with Gucci in almost every room tks Lucy Lou

Sphyrna Odyssey Quiet Sea: a historic mission

The Grand Egyptian Museum will finally open at the end of 2020 tks Lisa Larson Lee

Ningaloo Reef: Second woman injured by whale at Australia tourist hotspot

Let me know if anything jumped out at you?

Cheers

Andrea

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