WeHo remembers rock star Jim Morrison

■ Hi everyone, remotely from my suite at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites in West Hollywood comes this week’s news.

Died 52 years ago

■ James Douglas Morrison was an American singer-songwriter and poet who was the lead vocalist of the trio rock band, The Doors. Their hits included ‘Riders of the Storm’ ‘Light my Fire’ L.A. Woman’ ‘Touch Me’ ‘People are Strange’.

Other members were keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Kreiger, who followed Jim, and supplied music backing for his sometimes-rambling songs.

Most of the Doors shows were at the legendary Whisky a Go Go, 8901 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood which is stumbling distance to the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard where Jim Morrison was a regular guest.

This month, 52 years ago, Jim Morrison died.

Pamela Susan Courson (December 22, 1946 – April 25, 1974) was a long-term companion of Jim Morrison. Courson stated she discovered Morrison's body in the bathtub of a Paris apartment on July 3, 1971 at approximately 6am. He was 27 years old. The official cause of death was listed as heart failure, although no autopsy was performed as it was not required by French law.

Members out of touch

■ Older members of Congress are notorious for their lack of familiarity with modern technology. Late last month, at least three different representatives in a hearing on TikTok called the popular app ‘Tic Tac’, a breath mint available in many store checkout lines.

This is only the latest in a long line of amusing tech-related congressional miscues: Back in 2006, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens described the internet as “a series of tubes,” and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer copped to his struggles when in 2022 he held up his flip phone and said he was “not very tech-oriented” during a speech on the Senate floor.

Elon Musk feels unsafe

■ Since becoming one of city’s highest-profile employers, the Twitter owner has had a lot to say about the state of things in the City by the Bay, raising questions about whether the social media company’s headquarters would remain there.

The billionaire has described it as “post-apocalyptic,” claimed many Twitter employees “feel unsafe” coming to work in the city’s downtown and suggested “you could literally film a Walking Dead episode in downtown SF.”

City leaders say critics are unfairly portraying San Francisco as unsafe, citing statistics that show a violent crime rate lower than many large cities.

Military families

■ Most new recruits are children of military families, but that pipeline is now under threat bad news for the Pentagon, given already acute recruitment problems, and for US military readiness.

Since 9/11 gave recruiting a patriotic boost, the military has endured 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan with no decisive victories, scandals over shoddy military housing and healthcare, poor pay for lower ranks and rising rates of posttraumatic stress and suicide. And in a tight labour market, young people have plenty of options.

Nasal spray for migraine

■ The Food and Drug Administration has approved a nasal spray aimed at fast treatment for migraines, pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Zavegepant, sold under the brand name Zavzpret, was approved to treat migraines with and without aura in adults. The drug was more effective than a placebo at treating symptoms within 30 minutes and up to 48 hours later.

AI vs Breast Cancer

■ Advancements in A.I. are beginning to deliver breakthroughs in breast cancer screening by detecting the signs that doctors miss.

So far, the technology is showing an impressive ability to spot cancer at least as well as human radiologists, according to early results and radiologists, in what is one of the most tangible signs to date of how A.I. can improve public health.

Out and About Weed is harmful

■ Daily marijuana use can raise a person’s risk of coronary artery disease by a third, according to a recent study lead by Dr Ishan Paranjpe, a resident physician at Stanford University. “A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabis is not entirely without harm and may actually cause cardiovascular disease,” Paranjpe told CNN. “Thus, the decision to use cannabis must be carefully weighed against the potential for serious heart disease.”

Beware of products

■ Every day, we use soaps, lotions, deodorants, hair products and cosmetics on various parts of our bodies. But in recent years, an increasing number of reports have raised concerns about many of them. Researchers have found dangerous levels of mercury in skin lightening and anti-aging creams; they’ve linked chemicals in hair dyes and straighteners to breast and uterine cancer; they’ve traced fragrances in soaps and shampoos to poor semen quality and fertility issues. Most American children are also exposed to toxic chemicals – from a wide variety of sources that may be a cause of learning and developmental disorders, obesity and asthma.

Child star dead

■ Former child star Adam Rich died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in January at the age of 54. The ‘Eight Is Enough’ star also had non-toxic levels of alcohol and the generic version of Ativan, called lorazepam, in his system, according to an autopsy report from the LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Plants are good for you

■ Plants not only brighten up a dreary room, they may also save you from cancer! While many people may know plants produce oxygen, researchers say they can also soak up harmful chemicals in the air. University of Technology Sydney researchers, in collaboration with plant scaping solutions company Ambius, have found that plants can remove almost all cancer-causing fumes from a room. “We know that indoor air quality is often significantly more polluted than outdoor air, which in turn impacts mental and physical health. But the great news is this study has shown that something as simple as having plants indoors can make a huge difference,” says Ambius General Manager Johan Hodgson.

Survey on suicide

Germs on the rise

■ The risk of getting sick from E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other foodborne germs rose to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “Progress in reducing (intestinal) infection incidence was not observed during 2022, as influences of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided,” the CDC said in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Collaboration among food growers, processors, retail stores, restaurants, and regulators is needed to reduce pathogen contamination during poultry slaughter and to prevent contamination of leafy greens.” Each year, approximately 9 million Americans are sickened by pathogens in food, according to the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network. Also known as Food Net, it monitors diagnosed infections caused by eight common foodborne pathogens at 10 sites in the United States. Among the millions of illnesses, about 56,000 people are admitted to hospitals and 1350 die every year. Thoroughly washing and drying your hands is the most important factor in preventing the spread of gastrointestinal infections, experts say. Other key tips include not leaving your food out at room temperature for hours at a time, washing your hands when handling raw meat, avoiding contamination of surfaces with raw meat and thoroughly washing your leafy greens and other fruit and vegetables.

■ A new report from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2022, suicide and homicide rates for children and young adults ages 10 to 24 in the US were the highest they’ve been in decades. Suicide and homicide were the second and third leading causes of death for this age group, both causing about 11 deaths for every 100,000 people ages 10 to 24. The homicide rate for this age group in 2022 was the highest it has been since 1997, and the suicide rate was the highest on record, since 1968. Earlier research has found a steady increase in the number of children seen in emergency rooms for suicidal thoughts, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly half don’t get the follow-up care they need. According to the CDC, about 15 per cent of children in the United States were recently treated for mental health disorders in 2022.

Visit us in California

■ If you are considering coming over to California for a holiday, then I have got a special deal for you.

We would love to see you at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites, 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. I have secured a terrific holiday deal for readers of the Melbourne Observer and The Local Paper.

Please mention ‘Melbourne Observer’ when you book to receive the ‘Special Rate of the Day’ for your advance bookings.

Please contact: Jennifer at info@ramadaweho.com Happy Holidays, Gavin Wood

Across

Across Down Down

168. Guitar sound 169. Servant 171. Accessory 172. Female title

175. In vain, to no ...

176. Light sleeps

179. Arid US state 180. Schoolgirl

182. Prison

184. Opens door to (4,2)

185. Balmy

186. Crooner, ... King Cole

188. Quiet 189. Pod vegetable 190. Dull 191. Snow-runner 193. Betting chances 194. Jogs 196. Match before final 197. Unreliable 198. Revolving tray, lazy ... 200. Modesty

AFL great, ... Barassi 207. Angrily

Impetuous

Concealing 212. Stupefy 213. Trading centre 214. Banned pesticide (1,1,1) 216. Irish sweater style 218. Actual

Ellipse 220. Repaints (vehicle)

224. Moodier 227. Depend 229. Space flight organisation 230. Tethers 231. Latin American dance 232. Nipple

Aware of 235. Prophetic signs 237. Go up 239. Printing error 241. Type of orange 244. Child's toy (2-2) 246. Pet's neck band (3,6)

Please reply (1,1,1,1)

252. Stingier 254. Former English cricket captain, ... Hussain 256. Outrageous 258. Arrange 259. Fuss, song & ...

Introducing in stages, ... in

263. Rest on knees

264. Outcome

265. Rot (of leather)

267. Paltry

270. Niece & ... 271. Avoided 272. Entertainer 273. Additional items 274. Welsh vegetables 277. Witnessed 279. Carpenter's spike 281. More rational 284. Hurry 286. Sum owed 288. Absorbed

292. Whisky ingredient

294. Kiss & cuddle

295. Fire remains 298. Smallest

300. Nominated 301. Mention, ... to 303. Monastery superior

306. Decorative shrub pot

308. Encounter

309. Concludes

311. Pink-eyed rabbits

314. Last Greek letter

315. Ketchup, ... sauce

316. Powerful 317. Fruit mash 318. After that 319. Deserve 320. Mafia, ... Nostra 321. Treats with drugs 322. Rewrite on keyboard 323. Unhappier

Muscle toning therapists

1. Cosy

2. Furnace

3. Polynesian island group

4. Heart or lung

5. Complain

6. Movement

7. Blackboard marker

8. Drumming insects

9. Amongst

10. Fuel energy rating

11. Go around

12. Playful water mammal

13. Propel

14. Christian festival

143. Tent cover

145. Corrected (text)

151. Former IOC president, Juan .. Samaranch

154. Wanders

156. Fragrance

159. Reproductive cells

164. Sixth sense (1,1,1)

169. Imitative performer

170. Wood surface design

173. Hoped (to)

174. Versus

177. South American mountains

178. Effeminate

181. Facility

183. Commissioned soldier

187. Random

192. Hopping marsupials

195. Office workers

199. Usefulness

201. Chooses

202. Weather feature, El ...

203. Milan opera house, La ...

204. Bright signal light

206. Seductress, ... fatale

207. Map

208. Nimble

209. Executive jet 213. Car race city, Le ... 215. Small plums 217. Advertising sign

221. Jetties

222. Incidental comment

223. Complacent

224. Soccer net

225. Policy reversal (1-4)

226. Courtyard

228. Ambassadors' residences

234. Loud-hailer

236. Hypodermic syringes

238. Charged particle

240. Enquire intrusively

242. Showy flowers

243. Poetic name for Ireland, ... Isle

245. Apple groves

247. Parentless kids

248. Boost

250. Blood feud

251. Mesh

253. Rodents

255. Copied

257. Former Italian money unit

258. Fix

261. Respiratory ailment

262. Shoe lining

265. Rounded stone

266. Brainwaves

268. Put up with 269. The Queen's third son 275. Sitcom, My Name Is ... 276. Ruler, Genghis ... 278. Tidal river mouth 280. Carbonated 282. Opposed to 283. Resound

285. Throat-clearing noise

287. Wobble

289. Wage

290. Polluted

291. Assumes (attitude) 292. Guru

293. Ready, willing & ... 296. Impassive person

297. Upright

299. Make reparation

302. Wooden barrier

304. Farm sheds

305. Overly fat

306. Prudish

307. Elderly

308. Rugs

310. Luncheon meat

312. Bobs head

313. Timber cutters

Crossroads

By Rob Foenander info@countrycrossroads com.au

It Takes Two

■ Melbourne’s own Tottie Goldsmith and Nina Ferro will present It Takes Two at the Memo St Kilda at 4pm on Sunday, July 30. Along with special guests Eugene Hamilton and Jason Heerah, get ready for an afternoon of classic hits from Abba, Elvis and much more. You’re The One That I Want will be performed in honour of Tottie’s aunt, Olivia Newton-John. Tickets at the Memo. www.memomusichall.com.au

Elvis lives

■ The ultimate Elvis tribute artist, direct from the USA, Bill Cherry will relive the King’s songs in the anniversary special Elvis Lives on September 29. The Grand On Princes will host the event that features full backing band Replay 6 along with backing singers. Compere and support act Rob Foenander will also perform too. A ticket price of $140 per person includes a three course dinner, spirits, wine, beer and soft drinks. Bookings: 0409 411 359.

New re-release

■ Australia rock legend Russell Morris launched the premiere of his iconic 1969 song The Real Thing on 3 AW with Darren James. The re release of his classic hit was recorded live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and coincide with his new album ‘The Real Thing - Symphonic Concert’ to be released shortly. The concerts were performed at Hamer Hall and the Sydney Opera House and featured a 54piece orchestra plus Russell’s own band.