Willis's Walkabouts Newsletter 106, December 2019 — It's Here
Getting our new website up and running has been a very frustrating process. While it is far from complete there is enough there so that comments will be very helpful in getting it ready for final release.
The section on reversing aging has incredible implications for the future of the world. There is heaps more. If you scroll through I'd be very surprised if there isn't at least one article you will find of interest. This newsletter is designed to be browsed over the course of a few weeks, not just for a single quick look.
If you are viewing this on a mobile, the newsletter and many of the links should work better in a horizontal format.
Restricted content. Articles marked * or ** are on restricted websites Click for more info.
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In this issue
- The New Draft Website Is Here and Ready for Comment
- Bushwalking At Age 150
- February Trips
- Health and Diet
- 2020 Update — New Trips and Old
- Cashless Update
- Help! — I Need Help
- Economics
- China — The Next World Empire?
- Our Changing Society
- Our Planet — We've Only Got One
- New Tech
- Old Tech
- People Worth Remembering
- News About this Newsletter
The New Draft Website Is Here and Ready for Comment
New Website
The progress on our new mobile friendly website has been agonizingly slow. It is far from complete but the first parts are ready for comment. Click the link and see what you think. Here's some additional info that may help. Items are left to right in the top menu.
- Home page. Scroll down and see what you think. The three featured experiences are designed to be changed on a fairly regular basis.
- About Us. A work in progress. Many of the photos need replacing. The section on our guides is a new one.
- Experiences The experiences link has a drop down menu. Is it obvious that you can click the word 'experiences' or would you automatically go to one of the links in the submenu?
- The main experiences link takes you to a list of all the trips we offer arranged by date. The trips listed in green are the only ones where we have created the new pages about the trips. We'd like your feedback on the general layout. And any thoughts about the last row of photos. In some cases, you can click for more. In others, there are just five. Some have captions you see if you hold your cursor over the photo. Some don't. What's your preference and why?
- Kakadu is different layout. The idea was to include photos. The first line is functional; the rest are not. I'm not sure how it would work once you listed all the Kakadu trips. Any thoughts?
- Red Centre, Kimberley, International. These lists are still in the line format. Lists are not edited. We need to know whether to leave them in this form or to do something similar to the Kakadu page with photos.
- Specialty Walks. The plan is to list walks that are different to the rest of the ones we run. Any comments on this?
- Family Walks. This is a growing part of our business. As more and more people who walked with us years ago come back with their families and friends, we believe we need to emphasise this more. Any thoughts on what's been done here.
- Regions. Except for a single map, we haven't put anything here yet. The links currently go to experience pages or our existing website.The intention is to include a lot of the information in the regions pages on our current website. The bits about walking in our different seasons is, I believe, particularly important.
- Bookings. This is the same info as on our current bookings page, hopefully set out in a somewhat better way.
- Contact.. Comments and suggestions appreciated.
We'd very much appreciate your suggestions as to how we can improve it before we go live for the general public. Please have a look and send us an email with any suggestions and/or comments.
Note. We will continue to work on the site. What you see today may be different tomorrow. Please feel free to go back at any time and see the changes.
New Bushwalking Guide
Our new Bushwalking Essentials document has just gone onto the website.
This is an attempt to put the absolutely essential information in our Bushwalking Guide into a shorter, easier to read document. We know that we can make it better, but we're not sure how.
If you think you might be able to help, please have a look and send us an email with any suggestions and/or comments.
Bushwalking At Age 150
I hope that got your attention. There are people now alive who will almost certainly be fit enough to put on a 20 kg back and go for a two week walk when they are 150 years old. Whether or not there is any place left where they will be able to walk is another question.
Aging Is A Disease Which Can And Will Be Cured
What, for years, has been a fringe idea is now becoming more mainstream. The people who are working on the cures haven't necessarily thought through the consequences. Here are some interesting articles and points to ponder
- 'Extraordinary' Breakthroughs In Anti-Aging Research Will Happen Faster Than People Think **
- Uncovering how the body ages is leading to drugs to reverse it
- First hint that body's 'biological age' can be reversed
For one year, nine healthy volunteers took a cocktail of three common drugs — growth hormone and two diabetes medications — and on average shed 2.5 years of their biological ages, measured by analysing marks on a person's genomes. The participants' immune systems also showed signs of rejuvenation. - Toward a unified theory of aging and regeneration
This one is a bit technical but there is a good summary near the end.
"We conclude that modern molecular approaches to regenerative medicine such as reprogramming cells to pluripotency or partially reprogramming to induce tissue regeneration (ITR) effectively reverse most markers of aging and have significant potential for clinical application in aging." - AgeX Discussion of Aging and Regeneration
This video from of the companies at the forefront of anti-aging research explains a lot.
Consequences
- We need to talk about how population growth is harming the planet
We live in a finite world. Many people don't seem to recognise the fact. - No Australian city has a long-term vision for living sustainably. We can't go on like this
The demands on land and resources from our fast-growing cities are unsustainable, as are the wastes they produce. Yet still our leaders act as if unlimited growth is possible. - As a final thought, who will get access. Will it be only for the rich? For most of the developed world? For everyone? These are things we should be thinking about before it happens.
Old People Today
Age is no barrier: meet the world's oldest top athletes
Everyone mentioned is older than I am. One man did a marathon at age 101.
February Trips
Two very different trips to allow you to experience the Wet at its best.
- Kakadu Highlights No. 1: 9-22 February
Guide: Cassie Newnes. Two very different sections, either of which can be done on its own.
Price: $2495. Special offer. We will leave the 10% two month advance purchase discount in place for two weeks after this newsletter goes onto the website. - Russell's Light Wet Special: 14-23 February
I couldn't let a wet season go by without a nice, mostly relaxing wet season trip. I have to say 'mostly' as we've been given permission to do something we've never done before. Details in the trip notes.
If it doesn't fill, we'll open the two weekends to some of my local friends here in Darwin. Many have done similar trips. I suspect some will come back yet again.
Health and Diet
Diet
- To Treat Chronic Ailments, Fix Diet First *
For many patients, the right food may be the best medicine - Why everything you know about nutrition is wrong
"Many of the problems stem from the fact that the vast majority of food studies are of a certain kind that makes them easier to carry out but more likely to lead to false conclusions." - Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice. *
The evidence is too weak to justify telling individuals to eat less beef and pork, according to new research. The findings "erode public trust," critics said.
Other Issues With Food
- The milk, the whole milk and nothing but the milk: the story behind our dairy woes
"Pressure has been mounting on the industry for the past decade. Existing milk alternatives are growing their market share, helped by a rise in veganism and public concern around animal welfare. The agriculture sector is under pressure to reduce its contribution to climate change, and technology advances mean milk may one day be produced without cows at all." - Fresh food people? Let's not bury our heads in the sand
- "rather than just another animal rights issue, the assault on weekend fisher men and women and my own encounter on the beach underline yet again how so many people no longer want to know where their food comes from."
- "Food labelling laws in this country have long been a joke; the powerful multinational food companies with their armies of expensively suited lawyers and lobbyists have been bludgeoning successive governments into submission for decades."
- "By willingly removing ourselves from the process, we give the giant food manufacturers and marketers more opportunities to boost profits by lowering product quality and fudging information about its true origins."
2020 Update — New Trips and Old
The following trips have bookings. We haven't yet been able to update most of the prices. Anyone booking before a price rise goes onto the website will save money.
- Karijini National Park: 5-18 April
See one of Australia's most amazing gorge systems when the water temperature is warm enough to enjoy a swim.
List Price: $3895. Two sections, either of which can be done on its own.
If the three people who made a tentative booking confirm, we'll only need two more to guarantee departure.
Guide Cassie Newnes will bring her children along. They are both VERY experienced bushwalkers. The others who have booked have walked with them before and are looking forward to walking with them again.
Special offer. To give newcomers time to join in, we will leave the 20% advance purchase discount open until 15 December. - Kimberley Highlights No. 1: 17 May - 13 June
List Price: $5695. Five sections, any of which can be done on its own.
Section one is a definite departure. Sections two through five only need two more bookings. - Kakadu-Kimberley Special: 24 May - 13 June
List Price: $4995. Definite departure. Russell's 75th birthday special. I'd like to share it with some of the people I've walked with before so, until 15 December, bookings will be restricted to people who have walked with me before and would like to share my big day - Karijini National Park: 7-20 June
See one of Australia's most amazing gorge systems when the daytime temperature is relatively cool.
List Price: $3895. Two sections, either of which can be done on its own. - West MacDonnell Ranges: 7-20 June
List Price: $2495. Two sections, either of which can be done on its own. - Drysdale River National Park No. 1: 14-28 June
List Price: $2495. Fly in and out with a float plane. - Kakadu Super Circle No. 2: 7-28 June
List Price: $4195. Two sections, either of which can be done on its own. - Prince Regent: 21 June - 11 July
Definite departure. Price: $7495. This is the most remote trip we offer. In 2019, we had so many bookings we had to run trips. - Prince Regent Charter: 11 July - 1 August
This trip is fully booked. I've included it as an example of the kinds of charters we can do. - New Trip Kakadu Circle Special: 29 June - 17 July
Definite departure. List Price: 3595. Unless someone cancels, we already have enough bookings to guarantee the departure. - Kakadu Highlights No. 6: 19 July - 1 August
List Price: $2995. Two sections, either can be done on its own.
Section two may already be fully booked. Contact us ASAP if you are interested. - Kakadu Highlights No. 7: 9-22 August
List Price: $2695. Two sections, either can be done on its own.
If the group who is booking section two wants a private trip, only section one will remain available.
As there is a group doing section two only, we will provide transport in both directions.
Central Australia
Central Australia is undergoing a multiyear drought. If there has not been reasonable rain by mid to late February, we will cancel all our trips and give a full refund to anyone who has booked.
Having said that, I am keen to do Centralian Highlights: 7-25 April
I'm now taking bookings based on the conditions above.
Cashless Update
The figures that point to the death of the wallet as we know it
This article points out some of the dangers of relying too heavily on electronics.
Help! — I Need Help
- Scanning slides
I have thousands of slides going back 40 years. For places like Kakadu, these are a priceless record of environmental changes over time. They need to be digitised, easier said then done when there are so many. I need a scanner which- Will automatically handle at least 40 slides at a time.
- Comes with software than can be set to automatically remove (or at least improve) faded pictures with dust and mould spots
- I've Been Robbed
When I got back from my last trip at the end of October, I discovered that someone had broken into my house the night we left. It was someone who knew exactly where I had a small safe (pity it wasn't a larger one). They grabbed it and took off, hardly touching anything else. The police say that it was someone who knew the house and the location of the safe. Sadly for them and sadly for me, the safe contained part of a coin collection I'd begun back in the 1960s. Some of the coins are (or were) worth far more than bullion value. They included really obscure items like coins from the Carson City mint in America and coins from Newfoundland before it became a Canadian province in 1949. I contacted the local coin dealers and sent a notice to the Australian Association of coin dealers. If anyone has any idea of anything else I can do that might lead to the return of some of the coins, please let me know.
Economics
The System is Broken
- The Money Farmers: How Oligarchs and Populists Milk the E.U. for Millions *
The European Union spends $65 billion a year subsidizing agriculture. But a chunk of that money emboldens strongmen, enriches politicians and finances corrupt dealing. -
Capitalism Gone Wild
13% of developed-country public companies can't even cover their interest payments. They are either borrowing more cash to pay off previous loans, or issuing equity to hopeful (too hopeful) investors.
It's not the free market gone wild. It is the result of a manipulated market. The manipulators are what went wild. Sadly, they've only just begun ...
A large and growing part of the economy is effectively "owned" by powerful monopolies or oligopolies that face little competition. They have no incentive to deliver better products at lower prices or to get more efficient. They simply rake in cash from people who have no choice but to hand it over.
This would be impossible if we had true capitalism. Something is coming and it won't be nice. - Inflation Is No Problem Unless You're Poor
Inflation affects some groups far more than others. Policies that don't recognize this will be ineffective at best .... and might make matters worse for everyone. - A Long-Despised and Risky Economic Doctrine Is Now a Hot Idea
A quote from Mauldin Economics, "This horrifying but well-researched Bloomberg article is chock full of links to insane ideas. Some look superficially attractive, especially to those unfamiliar with even basic economics. Many have familiar, heavyweight names attached to them. All have, to me at least, a whiff of desperation. They are frantic attempts to make the world stop spinning."
Bloomberg has limit of three free articles, -
The Outlook Gap
CEOs are much more pessimistic about the economic future than most workers. Damning statistics. While we have problems, Australia gets a mention in a positive way. "... the Fed and our government refuse to allow the economy to rise and fall of its own volition, to let cycles cycle through, to let the weak fall and the strong prevail and in doing so open the economy to all who strive to share in her riches. Postponing the inevitable is the path taken by cowards who would sooner serve the untouchable few rather than the ambitious masses. And yet, here we find ourselves, usurped to those no better than traitors who cannot grasp that divided we will never stand."
Something big is coming. We are not immune. The more prepared you are, the more likely it is that you can prepare for the inevitable. - Ex-Corporate Lawyer's Idea: Rein In 'Sociopaths' in the Boardroom *
Corporate executives — the people who hired him and that his firm sought to protect — "are legally obligated to act like sociopaths."
"The corporate entity is obligated to care only about itself and to define what is good as what makes it more money," he writes in the essay. "Pretty close to a textbook case of antisocial personality disorder. And corporate persons are the most powerful people in our world."
The System Can Work
- The Happy, Healthy Capitalists of Switzerland *
Forget Scandinavia. Switzerland is richer and yet has a surprisingly equal wealth distribution.
China — The Next World Empire?
Like it or not, Australia's economic fortunes are tied to China. I strongly recommend that you read at least the first two links below.
- China's Disturbing Vision,
We were talking about 1984-style government surveillance long before 1984. It took time but now the technology is here. The Chinese government is enthusiastically embracing it. Chinese citizens receive a "social credit" score that essentially measures their value to the regime. Facial recognition systems keep track of movement. The government logs who you talk to, what you buy, where you eat, and where you are traveling, not to mention your reading and media habits. - Chinese Chess Game
In the article above, "we discussed some serious flaws in the decision to bring China into the world trade system. People across the spectrum mostly see this now; although they differ on what to do about it."
"Doing nothing isn't an especially good option because, like it or not, the world is becoming something quite different than we expected just a few years ago—not just technologically, but geopolitically and socially.
"It was three hours before the war game ended, but when the final move was made, the map on the floor was like a chessboard showing checkmate, with the American king trapped and defenseless. For the first time in the history of Pentagon-sanctioned military simulations, the United States had lost a war game. To win, I had employed tactics derived from my evolving understanding of Chinese strategy. The weapons and military strategy that guided my tactics had their roots in ancient Chinese warfare, and their modern incarnations are..." "...Twenty similar war games were conducted by the Pentagon over the next few years. Whenever the China team used conventional tactics and strategies, America won—decisively. However, in every case where China employed Assassin's Mace methods, China was the victor." - One of the best current books on the topic is Dr. Jonathan Ward's brilliant and well-written analysis in his book, China's Vision of Victory. Jonathan is the founder of Atlas Organization, a Washington DC- and New York-based consultancy focused on the rise of India and China, and on US-China global competition. He is a frequent guest on numerous TV shows talking about China.
- China's Cryptocurrency Plan Has a Powerful Partner: Big Brother *
Facebook's Libra project led Beijing to accelerate its efforts. The government could soon know a lot more about how people are spending. -
Dealing With China Isn't Worth the Moral Cost *
We thought economic growth and technology would liberate China. Instead, it corrupted us. - Washington's Chinese Tech Conundrum
"In early November, the budding U.S.-China “tech cold war” took a rather surreal turn. The U.S. government announced a national security review on the threat posed not by Chinese telecommunications giants like Huawei or Chinese artificial intelligence firms developing battlefield applications for the People's Liberation Army, but rather by TikTok, a wildly popular Chinese social media platform best known for 15-second clips of Gen Zers (those born between 1996 and 2010) doing very Gen Z things. Last week, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pressed the secretary of the Army to refrain from using TikTok as a recruiting tool."
Adapt or die. Given some of the problems they face, China has the same choice, adapt or die.
Our Changing Society
Riots and Unrest
- Do today's global protests have anything in common?
Inequality, corruption and climate change are three of the major issues. - The Knowledge Revolution And Its Consequences
It looks as if citizens in almost every country are unhappy, but unhappy in their own special way. Yet,confronting the images on the nightly news of riot police with batons drawn in the world's various major cities, it is hard to shake off Karl Marx's observation that the economic infrastructure determines the political superstructure.
I found this one particularly interesting. Highlights come from the person who sent it to me.
Culture
- Tales From the Teenage Cancel Culture *
What's cancel culture really like? Ask a teenager. They know.
Before reading the article, I had never heard of it. In some ways it's scary that people are so sensitive. Well worth the read. - Former Boston College Student Charged in Boyfriend's Suicide *
Inyoung You is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the suicide of her college boyfriend, who died on his graduation day. - Why white married women are more likely to vote for conservative parties
Women are swinging elections in the US and Australia in ways analysts have struggled to predict. Two recent studies can help explain. - In the Land of Self-Defeat *
What a fight over the local library in my hometown in rural Arkansas taught me about my neighbors' go-it-alone mythology — and Donald Trump's unbeatable appeal. - New York City: Are We an Empire in Decline? *
The city was built on big ideas, but lately the vision seems smaller.
"New York City was built on big, bold ideas. The vision of past leaders kept New Yorkers in town and captured the imaginations of millions from around the world who came here to "make it." In the Video Op-Ed above, Mara Gay, a native New Yorker who has reported on the streets of this city for seven years, questions where all that vision is today. She argues that New York's current leaders need to bring big ambition and hustle to serve their residents. She supplies ideas of what vision could look like to a mayor whose reluctant homecoming offers dim hope for the city." - Small histories: a road trip reveals local museums stuck in a rut
Away from the state capitals, small museums are out of step with big city curators — presenting tourists with stories that give a blinkered view of local history.
The News
- Journalisming
"Most people do not read news critically &38212; they just read the words, without putting any thought into who wrote them and why. This is what the journalists are counting on."
"I will consume left-wing as well as right-wing media. But not uncritically! I always know the source and the motivations. In fact, it is good to see the other side." - How Negative News Distorts Our Thinking
Three ways negative news engages cognitive biases, trapping us in negativity. - One Brother Stabbed the Other. The Journalist Who Wrote About It Paid a Price. *
The use of Europe's "right to be forgotten" privacy law has broadened, illustrated by two Italian brothers, a stabbing and the journalist who wrote about them.
Unintended Consequences
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1.5 Million Packages a Day: The Internet Brings Chaos to N.Y. Streets *
The push for convenience is having a stark impact on gridlock, roadway safety and pollution in New York City and urban areas around the world. When I read the above, I thought that while they aren't in the same league as NY, Amazon and similar must be having an effect in Sydney & Melbourne. The problem will get worse. Sure enough... - Two of Australia's major cities ranked among the worst in the world for drivers.
A Point to Ponder
I came across this statement in something I was reading recently. "By Jewish law, a court will not accept a capital punishment verdict if it was delivered by a unanimous decision of the jury. Yes, you read that right. There has to be at least one dissenting opinion for the death penalty verdict to be accepted. The court wants to make sure there was at least one voice in the proceedings that forced judges to confront the opposing argument. In other words, the court wants to make sure the decision was not merely tribal."
It seemed so unusual, I followed it up and found this article in Wikipedia. Capital and Corporal Punishment in Judaism. "If the Beth Din arrived at a unanimous verdict of guilty, the person was let go — the idea being that if no judge could find anything exculpatory about the accused, there was something wrong with the court.
I like the idea. It goes well with the idea that we need to seek out opposing views lest we get so blinded by our own beliefs that truth ceases to matter.
Return to topOur Planet — We've Only Got One
Fires
- It's the End of California as We Know It *
The fires and the blackouts are connected to a larger problem in this state: a failure to live sustainably. - Drought and climate change were the kindling, and now the east coast is ablaze
Alarmingly, as Australians increasingly seek a sea-change or tree-change, more people are living in the path of these destructive fires.
Climate Change Denial
There are three types of climate change denier, and most of us are at least one
It's easy to spot outright rejection of the facts on climate change. But it's far harder to see our own biases and excuses that lead us to delay or deny the need for real action.
Vanishing Flora and Fauna
- These State Birds May Be Forced Out of Their States as the World Warms *
New research shows that hundreds of North American birds are at risk of major habitat disruption from climate change. - As Sea Levels Rise, So Do Ghost Forests *
Saltwater is killing off woodlands all along the mid-Atlantic coast, sometimes surprisingly far from the sea.
New Tech
Good news
- Google launches language feature that gives pronunciation feedback
- 16 Useful Gems in Apple's New iOS 13 *
iOS 13, Apple's new operating system for the iPhone, comes with tons of new tools under the hood. Here are some of the most helpful.
The mind bogles. - The Reason Your Photos Are About to Get a Lot Better *
Google's Pixel 4 is the newest example of how computational photography is driving the future of phone cameras. - Family History Research Made Easy
Our family history can play a large role in what makes us who we are. Everything from our looks to talents and even temperament can be traits passed down by our ancestors. As we get older and wiser, we tend to develop more of a reverence for those who came before us. If you would like to research your family history but think it will be too difficult, here are some tips for making it easy. - How to Set Your Google Data to Self-Destruct *
Google has now given us an option to set search and location data to automatically disappear after a certain time. We should all use it.
Good or Bad?
-
How to deal with smartphone stress
The relationship between our smartphones and levels of the stress hormone cortisol isn't yet clear, but people report feeling more stressed than they were before they had a smartphone.
Good that we have so many new things, bad that they cause so much stress. - Caught red-handed: automatic cameras will spot mobile-using motorists, but at what cost?
Trials of the program found about 5% of offending drivers used their mobile phone with both hands, while the vehicle was moving.
Good that fining people using mobiles while driving makes it less likely they will kill you. Not so good in terms of other privacy issues. The article is definitely worth a read. - You're in a Police Lineup, Right Now *
Face-recognition technology is the new norm. You may think, "I've got nothing to hide," but we all should be concerned.
Old Tech
Arithmetic
The Right Answer? 8,186,699,633,530,061 (An Abacus Makes It Look Almost Easy) *
The abacus is still taught in Japanese schools, although not as intensively as it once was. But the centuries-old tool is still popular, and national tournaments attract elite competitors.
Are we raising an innumerate generation? I couldn't help but wonder when someone in a shop I was visiting had to use a calculator to work out something like 2 x 60. Isaac Asimov saw what was coming way back in 1957. If you have never read it, or haven't read it for a long time, I recommend Asimov's short story The Feeling of Power. He may have been way off in terms of interstellar war, but he was spot on with his vision of arithmetic becoming a lost art.
Books
The Authoritarian's Worst Fear? A Book *
Governments are spending a remarkable amount of resources attacking books — because their supposed limitations are beginning to look like ageless strengths.
Buildings — Old Tech Made New
Our wooden future: making cars, skyscrapers and even lasers from wood
"Wood can now be processed into a super-material with extraordinary properties — and a wood-based, climate-saving economy is just what the planet needs.
I found it fascinating. But termites can get stuck into the new wood just as easily as the old, so care is needed.
People Worth Remembering
America has just celebrated Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on what you have to be thankful for. Try as they might, marketers haven't yet managed to turn it into something as commercial as Christmas. Somehow, that reminded me of a few people worth remembering. You may have never heard of them. Their stories are worth a read.
- Leroy Johnson, Barrier-Breaking Georgia Politician, Dies at 91 *
In 1962, he became the first black candidate elected to the State Senate since Reconstruction. But his influence extended farther, as Muhammad Ali found out. - Alfred Haynes, Pilot Who Saved Scores in Crash Landing, Dies at 87 *
In 1989, he defied the odds in bringing his crippled United Flight 232 in for a crash landing; more than 180 people survived.
This amazing feat has featured in a number of documentaries over the years. I wonder how many pilots could do something like that today. -
Ruth Abrams, Judge Who Broke a Glass Ceiling Installed in 1692, Dies at 88 *
In Massachusetts she wrote landmark decisions on family law and gender equality that were widely cited across the country. And she quietly recruited many women to the bench.
News About This Newsletter
Restricted websites. The NY Times and Bloomberg Business Week both allow non-subscribers to look at ten free articles each month. I've got more links than that in this newsletter so I've marked them with a red asterisk (*) so that you can choose which are of most interest to you. The Washington Post and The Economist both have limits but I'm not sure what the current limits is so I've marked Washington Post and Economist articles with a double red asterisk (**).
Next Newsletter — January? February? March? While I may not be able to put a proper newsletter together before March, we need to look for more feedback on the new website before then so I'll try and have a short one out as soon as I can.
As always, I welcome a bit of feedback about some of the things in this newsletter and suggestions for the next one.
Sending the newsletter
I'm now using a paid version of MailChimp to send all of the newsletters. I'm not sure what I'll do if the list goes over 2500.
walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au is the contact address on our website. If you would like to continue to receive these newsletters, please include this address in your "friends list" so that it isn't blocked.
Emails sent to walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au are currently automatically forwarded to rrwillis at internode.on.net. If you want to send an email to that address, replace the word "at" with the symbol @. I am trying not to put that address any place where it can be harvested by spam bots.
We don't want to add to the mass of email spam. If you don't want our newsletter, please send us an email and let us know. We'll then delete your name from our newsletter list.
Our email address is walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au.
Note. Both MailChimp and the other program we use to send some of these newsletters have an automatic delete at the bottom. Clicking that link will delete you from the mailing list on the server but it will not delete you from our main database. One of the programs will not allow the auto delete to send me an email notifying me that a deletion has been made. If you want to be sure that you are removed from all further mailings, please send an email to walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au
If you know someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them. The more people who get it, the more likely it is that I'll be able to run the trips which might interest you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you all!!
Russell Willis