Covid-19 Blog Series #4

What comes next?

Australia’s mortality rate for Covid-19 remains very low, although it’s getting closer to the expected figure of around 1.5%. Currently, based on Department of Health figures, it’s just under 1% but has been growing recently [1]. We can expect this growth as the peak of infections about 3 weeks ago will be resulting in deaths now.

Covid-19 Blog Series #3

Update 3 - Some Correspondence

My third update on the Covid-19 Pandemic was originally intended to be either a screed on the economic ramifications of the pandemic or a discussion of the testing protocols.

Covid-19 Blog Series #2

And it begins

Late in the day of 29^th December 2019, Dr Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, became worried enough about the increasing number of pneumonia cases at the hospital, that he took to WeChat, a social media and messaging platform. In a group chat with some former University colleagues, he shared information about the cases and the fact that the cause had been identified as a “SARS like” virus.

Covid-19 Blog Series #1

How Many People are Dying from Covid-19?

Spoiler Alert: Nobody knows.

There is, right at the moment, a proliferation of data freely available that would usually be hidden behind a paywall. Most of this is data held by some of the world’s great medical journals such as Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine and as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, most journals and other databases have taken down their paywalls and made data freely available.

Batteries that last for 6000 years (or more)

Being the sort of chap that spends most of his time a long way behind the current news, I have only recently encountered Diamond Batteries. Annoyingly, I first encountered the topic on Facebook in a post that, surprisingly for Facebook, was only slightly apocryphal.

Natural Justice

Being in the habit of asking controversial questions, I am prepared to ask another.

At what point, if ever, should a crime be, if not forgiven, then annulled?

Drink the Local Beer!

The most popular drink in the world, apparently, is water. This is hardly surprising. Next on the list is a bit harder to decide and depends a lot on which oracle you consult. It does seem though that the top five is made up of water, coffee, tea, juice and beer.

God IV - the Final Fisking

A little while back, I commented on God, gods and religiosity in a small piece on this blog. Much to my astonishment, at least one person saw fit to read the damn thing all the way to the end. My correspondent replied in some detail with a fisking of godlike proportions and, being the magnanimous chap that I am, I published her reply. With, of course, my own fisking.

Screaming like Goku

People say strange things to me. I think it's just me, but you never know. I told of a person who recently said to me "I can't sell my car, it smells like fish" and just today someone said to that "I have small birds in my chimney". I'm still not sure whether that was a metaphor.

The Great Train Robbery (Japanese Style)

Occasionally I stumble across a factoid or news article so delicious that I feel compelled to tuck it away for further contemplation. The basic idea is that I might blog about it later - generally I don't, but I might. One such incident that I tucked away was a series of news articles on the great train robbery (or actually robberies) that took place in Japan late in 2015 and early in 2016.

Same-Sex Marriage

In Australia at present, the topic of same-sex marriage (SSM) has been much on the agenda, partly because we have a plebiscite on the way, but also because it has been a cri de cœur of the virtue signalling left in most of the rest of the world. We here in Australia will not be left behind when it comes to signalling our virtue.

I can’t sell my car, it smells like fish

“Have you got one of the new company cars?” I said.

“No.” she said

“Why not?” I said

“I can’t sell my car, it smells like fish.” She said.

My Grammar and helping Uncle Jack

My grandmother was the eldest of three children, the other two being a boy (Jack) and a girl (Mary). So we have one of those rare cases where my blog contains a kernel of truth. For clarity, I'll say that a colonel of truth is quite a different matter and involves an especially honest military officer and if my blog contained one he would be called Colonel Bailey, but I digress.

Writing at the Pub

In recent times I have been slightly nomadic in my circumstances. My employment has not required a fixed abode and I have had no special desire to settle down while I am still so young, so I have taken to living in various AirBNB accommodations over the last year. That is when I am not employing the strategy of staying-with-friends-until-they-aren’t-friends-anymore. An economical strategy, but one that tends to quickly reduce the number of persons that can reasonably be considered friends.

Exploring the Universe for Diversity

In March 1972, the space probe Pioneer 10 was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida with the objective of exploring the solar system past the orbit of Mars and into the asteroid belt. Later, a further objective of making a pass-by of Jupiter was added.

Peak Hour Terror: Surviving the Bus Crash

Yesterday started as any normal day. An early start, coffee, toast and I made my way to the bus stop for my usual ride to work. In a few short minutes though, my delusions of peace and calm were shattered by the terrifying sound of a collision between my bus and a 4WD.

The Child of the Father

I am not one for maudlin introspection on this blog (I save it for drunken evenings) and felt a little uneasy about posting the eulogy to my father last week. Nonetheless I am going to beg your indulgence one more time. I promise to get back to buses, faeces, Belgians or politics in my next post.

Eulogy for my Father

Eulogy for DW “Bill” Curran
Delivered 08 July 2017
John Cooper Methodist Hall, Benalla

North Sydney! This bus is North Sydney!

I have, on occasion, commented in the past about my adventures on buses and have ruminated on the process of catching a bus and buying tickets for a bus in Sydney.

I am, once again, able to interact daily with the Sydney bus service and I must say that I have noticed that the bus drivers seem more willing to converse with their passengers. I suspect they have had some sort of civility training or perhaps they have been sued. Who can tell.

Fabulous Faecal Facts

Some time ago I worked with a chap that was in the habit of advising me of the details of his bowel movements. He spoke with a rather posh British accent that I was reliably informed was a ‘Sandhurst accent’ and indeed he had been an officer in the British military. He sounded quite a lot like Trevor Bailey, the former English cricketer and sometime commentator.

On occasion, in this very proper accent, he would stand upright and loudly announce; “It’s time for my 2 o’clock poo!” He would then pivot  in a military fashion and depart in the direction of the men’s room. On his return he would usually make some further comment, usually along the lines of everything having “come out splendidly” but occasionally a more graphic description of the process along the lines of “I’ve just passed a bowel movement the exact size and shape of a coconut. Extraordinary!”