A busy Zoom meeting today, with lots of guests dropping in: Peter England, Vincent Chen, Joe Navaseri, Sue Monkhouse, Stuart Stockade, Sara Rothermel, and Doug McLean, who got “happy birthday” wishes from us all. We would welcome any feedback, and come again, folks!

The Shadow heard David Pisterman chatting to Ralph Treloar in the street the other day. They were comparing hearing aids and how they coped with the shut-down. Ralph is looking well and we hope he Zooms in sometime. 

Apparently there has been another outbreak of the Cerebro-Faecal Syndrome:

“An emerging and dangerous group of coronavirus deniers is pushing an alarming theory that the COVID-19 pandemic is a government conspiracy, and people should ­ignore social-distancing rules and refuse to be tested.” 

“The group, which tells its followers not to wear masks and to reject coronavirus tests, is planning a large protest later this month against what it sees as the coronavirus conspiracy.” - The Australian

Not only, but also:

Miss Swimsuit UK (Jasmine Archer-Jones) has been stripped of her title after posting the message “ALL lives matter” on her Facebook page.

But wait: there's more!

Human body parts named after “men, kings and gods” have been deemed irrelevant and misogynistic by some Australian doctors who no longer seek to salute the ideas of dead, male anatomists.

A specialist obstetrician in the state of Queensland, gynaecologist and anatomy lecturer, Dr Kristin Small, is urging her students to drop gender bias and what she calls irrelevant and misogynistic medical language.

She believes the terms invoke the jaded beliefs of older generations and wants more practical and descriptive terms for body parts.

Yet more:

British police struggled to shut down an event attended by 3,000 people near Bath, south-west England — another anti-lockdown dance party to take place during what has been labelled the summer of illegal raves.

Former RAF base Charmy Down, north of Bath in Somerset, was the scene of the mass illegal gathering. At the height of parting, music could be heard in Bristol — some 12 miles as the crow flies.

It makes the Shadow wonder which is the more dangerous: Covid-19 or Cerebro-Faecal Syndrome?

(The Cerebro-Faecal Syndrome must not be confused with Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome, which is an autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by mental retardation, brachycephaly, upslanting palpebral fissures, eye abnormalities, and highly arched palate. A cure has yet to be found for either condition)

Even more alarming, the Shadow suspects that the Cerebro-Faecal Syndrome could be acquired through our education system:

“Nearly 10 per cent of Australia’s aspiring teachers are failing to meet basic literacy and numeracy standards, a significant deterioration in four years.” - The Australian