CLOUDCACTCHERMEDIA

Sectors of the north coast community who have really hit a financial wall owing to the COVID-19 pandemic are the food and entertainment industries and in particular restaurants and musicians.
Two local Ashes are making the best of the talents they have by morphing their business.
Ash Bell has stepped out of his singing and performing comfort zone to start teaching guitar online.
Singer/songwriter Ash Bell, most recently working with Sara Tindley, had his work come to a complete stop…READ MORE

Pets are loving the pandemic. Having their pet humans at home all the time is a lifestyle they are enjoying, and it’s a symbiotic plus for all earthlings concerned – but, not all pets or humans have it so good.
President Pets For Life Animal Shelter Billinudgel Jean Conway, says that one of the most heartless requirements by accommodation providers in this country forces people to abandon their pets. ‘Grown men, women and children often weep as they surrender their dog or cat to the pound or animal shelter…READ MORE

Artificial intelligence isn’t just about machines beating humans at games like chess and go, and destroying the world in dystopian Terminator-style nightmares. AI is also making great strides in health care.
While the very idea fills some people with horror (including a few doctors who fear losing their jobs and golf club memberships), this technology has the potential to deliver world class diagnostic tools to patients who could never afford to see a specialist…READ MORE

With the big upsurge in home cooking lately, and with lots of us having more time than usual, slow food is enjoying a resurgence. One of its most exciting (and environmentally sound) forms is solar cooking. As well as tasting incredible, solar cooking is great for your health.
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Solar ovens take a huge variety of forms, from simple DIY boxes which primary school children can build, to high tech devices you can buy with parabolic reflectors or evacuated tubes. There are even camping models…​READ MORE

Musicians are the backbone of our most memorable cultural and life events, so it’s particularly unfair that they’ve borne the brunt of the COVID-19 shutdown. Along with other freelance cultural workers, there are no rescue packages for most musos, even though they’ve always been first in line to help others after disasters.
The irony is that music has become a completely essential service for lots of us trying to hold on to our sanity at this time…READ MORE

With so many events being postponed at the moment, one of the silver linings is extra time for planning. Maybe you’ve worked out all the colours and mixed a music playlist for your special day, matched the food with the wine, and organised the perfect cutlery and floor coverings, but are you going to be engaging all the human senses?
Remember it’s not just about how things look, sound, feel and taste. Scents are powerful shapers of mood, and makers of memories. The power of aromas comes from the way they bypass our intellects and make deeper, more animal connections…READ MORE

At the moment many parents are spending more time with their children than ever before, which has its wonderful and awful aspects. There's been a lot of focus on home-schooling and parents skilling up to become de-facto teachers. But the situation also presents possibilities for parents to learn from their kids – about play.
Play can mean a lot of different things. It can be about exploration, testing things, fantasy, finding out how things work, developing talents (and muscles), improving defenses and imagining different points of view. Play contributes to creative thinking and allows the safe release of strong feelings. It also releases stress…READ MORE

As the health system comes under increasing strain with COVID-19, it’s getting harder to see a doctor face to face. Checkups and pathology test numbers are down. Internet searches are up.
While Telehealth is beginning to fill the gap (with video appointments now possible between GPs and patients), many people are leaving their Medicare cards in their wallets and turning to Dr Google instead.
If you can ignore the lack of bedside manner, Dr Google is fast, convenient and cheap. But how do you know you’re getting good information online? Medical information can be out of date, unsubstantiated or just plain wrong. READ MORE

With so many events being postponed at the moment, one of the silver linings is extra time for planning. Maybe you’ve worked out all the colours and mixed a music playlist for your special day, matched the food with the wine, and organised the perfect cutlery and floor coverings, but are you going to be engaging all the human senses?
Remember it’s not just about how things look, sound, feel and taste. Scents are powerful shapers of mood, and makers of memories. The power of aromas comes from the way they bypass our intellects and make deeper, more animal connections. READ MORE