In COVID days we have become floating islands, remote from each other, drifting as the wind blows, devoid of real contact, glued to our Zooming screens, reaching for some sense of emotional fulfillment and practicing our art as best we can.

Our audience? Alas: No space, no ears, no eyes, no touch.

As Shakespeare put it..."Sans everything."

Is it too much to dream of spaces freed up for performance, for voices, for daring brushstrokes, for adept slices of clay or cuts in timber or perfect forging, for considered moments in photography, for the power of words that explore and reveal our souls for others to experience too?

Thank you Dave for restarting this beating heart to help us all move forward - embracing all our senses again, sharing in our village, building anew in an environment that sustains us, our lands and all our creatures, forgoing the instant gratification of a world that we are fast destroying.

Thank you SHN for such a wonderful piece of inspiring writing.

The Highlands ARE alive. Bravo!

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The year 2020 has put health at the forefront for obvious reasons. The impact of COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work and play, but also the way we value our health and that of our loved ones.

With this in mind, I was incredibly encouraged by the response and support we received across the country to National Stroke Week (August 31 - September 6).

National Stroke Week is the Stroke Foundation's key stroke awareness campaign, and stroke remains a major health challenge in this country.

While face to face events during National Stroke Week were incredibly limited and held only in those states with no COVID-19 cases, social media became a force for raising awareness and educating the community about F.A.S.T. - the most common signs of stroke (Face.Arms.Speech.Time).

I want to thank the thousands of Australians who shared the F.A.S.T. message through their social media channels, in their community or via the media.

As a result of your efforts, I am confident more Australians than ever now know how to recognise a stroke and understand they must call triple zero (000) at the first sign.

Thanks to you, we now have more "F.A.S.T. Heroes" at the ready and this will save lives and prevent lifelong disability due to stroke.

Using the F.A.S.T test involves asking yourself these simple questions:

Stroke strikes the brain, the human control centre. Stroke is always a medical emergency, but the faster it is treated, the better the chance of survival and a good outcome.

Of course, not all strokes display the F.A.S.T. signs, but more than 80 percent do. This is why I urge the community to commit the F.A.S.T. message to memory and continue to share it with friends, family and colleagues all year round.

Stroke does not stop for a pandemic. If you suspect a stroke, do not delay calling triple zero (000). Always remember, time saved equals brain saved. You could be our next FAST hero.

Sharon McGowan

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer

Re COVID-19: Clearly containment measures are having some effect - so that is good news.

But, now if I were a project manager running 'this job' I would direct my attention to what was causing the biggest 'cracks'.

I would not try to find all 'cracks' and then devote all resources to attempt fixing all the 'cracks'.

Neither would I demolish the bridge whilst discovering the 'cracks' to fix!

But that is exactly what our enlightened 'leadership' is doing to this nation.

Be it the demon AGW (Human caused Climate Change), or the Modern Nuclear Energy cycle (the only solution at present to a cleaner planet), or the demon Gun (disarm the good but not the bad), or the demon 'China Virus' ... politicians at all levels are ignoring constructive input from both experts and intelligent areas of society.

Blind bullying will thus continue to destroy the nation by yet again stifling and killing free speech, and treating the electorate with contempt.

Pity to those who resist for the muscle of righteous government (police) will arrest, fine, and jail you!