#15 Weekend reads, free at last, I’m free at last

My kids went back to school this week – hallelujah!! It’s been nearly six months since they’ve been home, and overall, it’s been a really positive experience for all of us. And yes, we know we’re lucky. It’s been brutally hard on so many and will continue to be.

Hats off to Thailand for doing an amazing job on COVID19. However, even though there has been no community transmission for nearly 70 days, the kids are masked up, social distancing is in place and the school has done an amazing job getting the place ready. Bravo to all of the staff at UWCT. I love this school.

Some good news this week, Kamala Harris for Vice President of the US!! Thanks for this article Lavinia Thanapathy – Who is Kamala Harris? Get ready for the horrible media coverage attacking her… it started fast. Horrible.

But a major news item that consistently left me bewildered in recent weeks, is the US Postal Service story – this article should give you a flavour if you’re not on the pulse – The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election.

For me, this is horrifying – how do they get away with it, during a pandemic especially? The blatant suppression of voting in the US is appalling to me, and of course it’s nothing new, but this? It makes you wonder if the GOP has any integrity left?

As an Australian, where voting is compulsory for every citizen, it’s even more appalling. Australians aren’t just required to vote, the culture of the country also means people know it’s their obligation to vote. We might not get the results we want, but regardless, everyone does their duty.

To see this happening in the US right now, during a pandemic, well it just feels pathetic and abhorrent. And yes, there are many other awful things over there right now – many links illustrate it below. But seriously, I hope this country gets it act together. The world needs it too!

However, the other thing that bothers me, is groups of people living within systems where minorities are actively held down, and those flourishing don’t demand change. The I’m alright, screw everyone else mentality, is not something that has ever, or will ever, speak to me.

We can raise the standards for humanity and always remember that when other’s do better, it doesn’t mean we lose anything. In fact, equality and diversity consistently show all lives are improved. It’s time to raise the human game.

Charity: do you have some spare cash? Have you saved money in quarantine? Of course, not everyone can, but please donate to the UN Refugee Program and World Food Program? They are helping hundreds of millions of our fellow citizens and every dollar counts.

Friends content

My friends aren’t publishing enough content at the moment, or if they are, they’re not making me aware of it! If you’re doing awesome things, let me know, because I want to support you.

Due to lack of friend’s content, I want to share something I’ve been working on with my friends – The Asia Professional Speakers Convention 2020 – happening 31^st August to 4^th September.

Why? Well if you want to really understand the state of the world and gain a sense of where we are going, then day one is that day.

If you want to build your voice, influence and impact, that’s day two.

On day three is the business of speaking – useful for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, not just speakers.

Day four is all about the tech and we all need to get our heads around that. Day five is about ourselves – mindfulness, compassion, courage, humanity. Nothing more important than that.

Check it out and if you decide to attend, go to the tickets page and select first timer, then drop in my name and it’s just SG$99. Or you can buy a two-hour session that resonates.

In the meantime, I published my frustrations on how WhatsApp has become a collaboration tool and it’s causing me big headaches. Do you agree? When did WhatsApp become a collaboration tool? Hint, it’s not.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading this last week. So much going on, hard to stay on top of it (which is why I’m putting this together) but one thing I want to encourage everyone to do is this: don’t get dragged down into the negativity.

I know it’s not easy, but hold yourself above it. I know it can all feel hopeless right now, but a stronger chorus of positive, loving voices out in the world could be the difference to getting through and out the other side of these times. Shall we give it a go?

Climate Crisis / 6^th Mass Extinction

Heatwaves, Fires, Storms: Blame Climate Change for Summer Misery

Canada’s Last Fully Intact Arctic Ice Shelf Collapses tks Sophia Henri

Past evidence supports complete loss of Arctic sea-ice by 2035

COVID19

Coronavirus: Putin memes flood social media

‘If We Get It, We Chose to Be Here’: Despite Virus, Thousands Converge on Sturgis for Huge Rally tks David Lim

Coronavirus: Brazil passes 100,000 deaths as outbreak shows no sign of easing

TAT deputy governor dashes hopes of 2020 reopening for Thailand’s international borders tks Benjamin Jenkins

The True Coronavirus Toll in the U.S. Has Already Surpassed 200,000

Trump’s Order on Coronavirus Relief Alarms Governors as Stimulus Talks Stall tks Lisa Larson Lee

Bill Gates on Covid: Most US Tests Are ‘Completely Garbage’

How the Pandemic Defeated America

Expert wanted federal workers in aged care homes months before outbreak tks Phillipa Edwards

This 21-year-old thought he had overcome a mild case of Covid-19. Then he went into organ failure

The Coronavirus Is Never Going Away tks Gabe Rijpma

Everything has changed forever. I miss just going out the door and doing stuff tks Joanne Flinn

‘This is no longer a debate’: Florida sheriff bans deputies, visitors from wearing masks tks Elsa Gagnon

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Why I am not sending my kids back to school

UK’s poorest ‘skip meals and go hungry’ during coronavirus crisis tks Julie Rumbold

Study reveals immune-system deviations in severe COVID-19 cases

Patient zero for Victoria’s second wave was not a security guard tks Phillipa Edwards

Qantas and Virgin knew the Ruby Princess was a coronavirus time bomb but were powerless to stop it tks Phillipa Edwards

DOLLY PARTON Steers Her Empire Through the Pandemic— and Keeps It Growing

Global Politics

Trump Had No Response When Asked If He Regrets All His Lies

Deepening China-Iran relations could change global geopolitics

Professor Who Picked Every Election Winner Since Ronald Reagan Reveals His Prediction for the 2020 Election tks Didier Ache

‘Friday Night Massacre’ at US Postal Service as Postmaster General—a Major Trump Donor—Ousts Top Officials

U.S. Worse Off Than Russia, Mexico in 2020 Economic Misery Ranking

Kamala Harris Is Biden’s Choice for Vice President tks Michelle Giamusso Regal

Beirut explosion: Lebanon’s government ‘to resign’ as death toll rises

Catholic bishop rejects idea Trump is ‘pro-life’, saying president is ‘only concerned about himself’

I (still) believe the president, and in the president tks Denise Chai

Bernie Sanders: My Message To My Supporters Is To Vote Early And Vote For Biden

Can Kamala Harris and Joe Biden Defeat Trump? Tks Tim Wade

Public defender: I worked with Kamala Harris. She was the most progressive DA in California.

Trump stokes ‘birther’ conspiracy theory about Kamala Harris

Johannes Leak cartoon of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris denounced as racist

Senate leaves until September without coronavirus relief deal

US 2020: Biden campaign says Trump ‘abhorrent’ for fuelling Harris conspiracy

Carly Simon’s anti-Trump ad

Business and technology

Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed tks David Lim

Sunlight could solve drinking water’s biggest problem in 30 minutes tks John Vincent Gordon

Dr Martens Repays Furlough Money To Government Due To ‘Financial Strength Of Business’

Social issues (#BlackLivesMatter) and humanity

Like Kamala Harris, I’m the daughter of an Indian immigrant. We are the American story

Here’s Every Time Donald Trump And Ghislaine Maxwell Have Been Photographed Together

Please help me with my lazy, unmotivated 18yo son who is stuck on the couch and going nowhere

She Explains ‘Mansplaining’ With Help From 17th-Century Art

Passion, humour, history

Was this tiny church the ‘Vatican’ of the Templars? tks Yasmine Keating

Detectorist ‘shaking with happiness’ after Bronze Age find

How to recreate Melbourne experiences at home tks Warwick Merry

US calls for shower rules to be eased after Trump hair complaints tks Denise Chai

What did you read/watch this last week that caught your attention?

Cheers

Andrea

18 Steps to An All-Star LinkedIn Profile

This book is the starting point for LinkedIn success. If you want to buy it, it’s available on Amazon.com .co.uk .in .au and Flipkart. It’s also available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Google Play and iBooks.

Are you a Social CEO?

I’m proud to be a contributing author to The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. You can order it on Amazon today.

Want to claim your stage?

Check out our co-authored Best Selling Book – Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman – proud to be part of this too!

Want proof social leadership transforms business and attracts customers?

Check out this case study with IBM Asia Pacific. Incredible results.

Want to be a super star online?

Don’t know where to start, check out my e-learning course How to build a rock star personal brand today.

I believe it’s time for all of us to embrace our voice and embrace the future. We do this by working and living ‘out loud’ with meaning, intention, integrity and by being true to ourselves. If you own your voice, you will own your future.