Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Wowee, Catalyst was really worth watching tonight


Dr Maryanne Demasi continues to cement her reputation as a thorn in the side of the medical profession in Australia, After tonight's broadcast she must be about as popular as a turd in a punchbowl. Unlike an earlier report by Demasi, I was more impressed than shocked by tonight's story, but I'm eager to see what shape the reaction might take. I loved seeing oncologist Dr Ranjana Srivastava, who was a steady beacon of reason on the current affairs debate TV show Q & A a while ago, a much better representative of science than the loud and annoying Neil deGrasse Tyson. If Dr Srivastava was a politician I'd be campaigning for her night and day. I'd even take the time to learn how to pronounce her name. I was delighted to see Dr Melissa Raven making an appearance on tonight's Catalyst, with her calm and carefully-chosen words. I was interested to note how many women were among the professionals bold enough to criticise the way medicine is practiced in Australia, and noted that Dr Peter Gotzsche was thanked at the story's web page for his assistance. Congrats, Dr Demasi. You are one to watch, for sure. 

Lili's opinion of the day


For many Australians, doctors, psychiatrists and assorted helping professionals have replaced priests, gurus, spiritual leaders, pastors and ministers of religion as the people to turn to for guidance in how to live in dignity and decency. Working things out for one's self is a difficult job. It has always been easier to go ask an authority figure. 

Lili's second-thought of the day


Maybe I should apologise for my last blog post. It was rather personal and insulting. Hmm. Nah.


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Lili's apology for the day


Sorry, I didn't realise that last night was a Val Lewton double-bill, with Bedlam followed by Mademoiselle Fifi. I hadn't spotted the second as another Lewton classic because I'm not familiar with his non-horror films, but it was highly memorable for the scathing depiction of wealthy people, with a political subtext that has a rosy-red glow. My eye missed the Lewton link with the second movie, so I guess I'm not nearly the expert that I thought I was! 

The good news is that there's another movie coming up very soon on ABC1 that was produced by the synaesthete genius Val Lewton.The Seventh Victim is on tonight, or to be correct, scheduled for broadcast very early tomorrow morning: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/seventh-victim/#/episode/ZY6511A001S00 

Three Lewton films in two days! Who needs sleep? 

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Friday, October 02, 2015

Lili's fun fact for the day


The Barry J Marshall Library at the University of Western Australia, which specializes in materials for science students, offers a total of 16 copies of a psychology textbook that explains on page 559 how "In peptic ulcers, for example, stress-produced out-pouring of peptic acid into the stomach produces an actual lesion in the stomach wall." Very scientific!