#13 Weekend reads – and the adventure comes to an end

All good things come to an end, and it’s the end of our Northern Thailand adventure, with the boys going back to school in a couple more weeks. It’s bizarre to think they’ve been out of school physically since March, and if the growth spurts my two have gone through are any indication, I know we’ll be blown away by the other kids when we see them.

I know many people would love to be able to get out and about right now. The lockdowns and travel restrictions are not fun for anyone, so we know we’re lucky to have the opportunity to explore Thailand at this time (it’s more than 60 days Covid-free here), but it’s challenging too.

The North is empty. The doors are shuttered and every day new ‘for rent’ and ‘for sale’ signs are going up. Some of the business owners I spoke with said they would be extremely challenged to make it until Christmas if this isn’t over.

It’s quite simply heart breaking. And you know it’s going to get a lot worse for people in countries where travel and tourism is such a critical part of the infrastructure. But there are other countries challenged for different reasons too, reliant on the income of different sectors.

Right now, all of the developing countries that have been experiencing boom times need to get very innovative in creating new economies less dependent on industries that will be years off recovering, and we need to help these countries struggling too. So many are facing very challenging times ahead.

Therefore I wanted to make this request. Have you been deeply touched by someone you met on holidays that could do with a hand right now – think taxi driver, waitress, concierge, etc..? Or perhaps a town, village or community that made a big impact on you? Can you dig deep and help out? Everything helps.

Bigger charities: On a global scale, there are many amazing charities doing great work. One of my favorites is Kiva. Perhaps you can sponsor some individuals through this platform? Or donate to the UN Refugee Program and World Food Program? We have 30 million people facing famine and more than 100 million have slipped into extreme poverty since the pandemic started. Let’s all come together and help the organizations doing the most to address these challenges?

Our humanity and compassion will get us through these times, but we have to take care of each other.

Friends content

Finding Your Voice – check out Simone De Haas’ course. This will be amazing as she’s a very talented lady.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.

Climate Crisis / 6^th Mass Extinction

Physicists Say There’s A 90 Percent Chance Civilization Will Soon Collapse

Bayer Begins Rewarding its Farmers for Generating Carbon Credits tks Susanna Hasenoehrl

Greta’s world tks Joyce Ano

Cogs in the climate machine

The great climate migration – powerful read

One in Three Children Have Unacceptably High Lead Levels, Study Says

A Quarter of Bangladesh Is Flooded. Millions Have Lost Everything tks Denise chai

Show Me the Methane tks Susanna Hasenoehrl

Lockdown was the longest period of quiet in recorded human history tks Simon Kearney

COVID19

Victoria’s coronavirus crisis: fear hangs over Melbourne and nothing is like the first wave

Coronavirus: Swimming defector was not infected, says S Korea

Coronavirus vaccine: When will we have one?

Victorian coronavirus cases continue to soar with record 532 new infections, six deaths

The Covid-19 Pandemic’s Long-Term Effects on Future Tourist Experiences tks John Vincent Gordon

Coronavirus ‘most severe health emergency’ WHO has faced

Do you have a right to not wear a mask? tks Willie Wahlin

What’s the backup plan if there’s no COVID-19 vaccine?

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Importance of Reopening America’s Schools this Fall

The Cult of Selfishness Is Killing America

‘I can’t listen to you’: Karl Stefanovic abruptly ends interview with anti-masker

Coronavirus: Hong Kong on verge of ‘large-scale’ outbreak, says Carrie Lam

Coronavirus: Scaled back Hajj pilgrimage begins in Saudi Arabia

‘That’s Ridiculous.’ How America’s Coronavirus Response Looks Abroad. tks Vicky Coburn

Rep. Louie Gohmert, who often went without a mask, tests positive for the coronavirus tks Denise Chai

Coronavirus: Australia’s Victoria records huge case jump

Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain dies after battle with coronavirus

Stop Trying To Live Like We Aren’t In A Pandemic

How Quack Doctors And Powerful GOP Operatives Spread Misinformation To Millions

Global Politics

WE charity scandal – A simple guide to the new crisis for Trudeau

AP-NORC poll: US course at record low, Trump sinks on virus

Harris allies granted call with Biden campaign after Dodd blowup

Donald Trump Is a Broken Man tks David Lim

A ‘Wall of Vets’ Joins the Front Lines of Portland Protests

Australia doesn’t need Reagan and Thatcher’s neoliberal economics of misery tks Claire Kielty

Najib Razak: Malaysian ex-PM gets 12-year jail term in 1MDB corruption trial

AOC Shut Down a Congressman Who Insulted Her, Reminding Me Why I’m Proud to Be a F*cking B*tch tks Brian Sibley

The voice of the late Rep. John Lewis echoes in the Capitol during ceremony

Donald Trump’s divisive method culminates in Portland

Prominent Hong Kong professor and pro-democracy activist fired by university tks Dominic Powers

Donald Trump suggests delay to 2020 US presidential election

Obama eulogizes John Lewis at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta

Business and technology

News Corp: Rupert Murdoch’s son James quits company

MacKenzie Scott begins giving away most of her Amazon wealth. Here’s why, and where nearly $1.7 billion is going.

The human skills we need in an unpredictable world tks Francine Varner

Five key moments from the big tech grilling

A Collapse That Wiped Out 5 Years of Growth, With No Bounce in Sight

The Economy Is in Record Decline, but Not for the Tech Giants

Social issues (#BlackLivesMatter) and humanity

Leigh Sales showed us the abuse women cop online. When are we going to stop tolerating misogyny? Tks Claire Kielty

The Poison of Male Incivility When a woman dares respond to it, she’s seen as “disruptive.”

‘Don’t come back, they’ll kill you for being gay’

‘Rednecks For Black Lives’ Urges Southerners To Fight For Racial Justice tks Denise Chai

Why Did It Take a Pandemic to Show How Much Unpaid Work Women Do?

Police say ‘Umbrella Man’ who sparked Minneapolis riots is a white supremacist tks Michelle Giamusso Regal

Passion, humour, history

“Not now, not ever”: Australian Voices Choir sing Julia Gillard’s “Misogyny speech” Cymbeline Buhler

ABBA Will Release 5 New Songs in 2021! tks David Lim

Photographer Waits 6 Days to Capture Perfect Moment Between Big Cat Couple tks David Lim

You Can’t Stop Us | Nike

Brilliant!! Thank you Aristha Khanna. You’re always on the pulse.

Let me know if anything jumped out at you?

Cheers

Andrea

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