4

Episode 24 - Interview with Steve Lopez

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Steve Lopez, an award-winning writer, author, and columnist for the LA Times, shares his insights from his 30-year career. He has served as editor-at-large for Time Inc. and contributed articles to Sports Illustrated, Life, and Entertainment Weekly. He is currently at work on a book of nonfiction.




4

Episode 34 - Ann Weiser Presentation - Part 1

Ann Weiser, Chief Human Resources Officer for Activision Blizzard, Inc., shares her insights and experiences from a successful career in human resources to an audience at the Graziadio School of Business and Management on Drescher Campus. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 40 - Sheri Miksa Presentation - Part 1

Sheri Miksa, Former CEO, President and Director of Robeks Juice Franchise Corporation, shares her thoughts and experiences on her 25 years of experience working in the food service and hospitality industry. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 41 - Sheri Miksa Presentation - Part 2

Sheri Miksa, Former CEO, President and Director of Robeks Juice Franchise Corporation, sits down for an interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Sheri also answers various questions from audience members. (Part 2 of 2)




4

Episode 42 - Interview with Priscilla Stewart-Jones

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Priscilla Stewart-Jones, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, McKesson Corporation, U.S. Pharmaceutical Group shares her insight and experiences of human resources, the state of the working economy, and advice for working professionals.




4

Episode 43 - Priscilla Stewart-Jones Presentation - Part 1

Priscilla Stewart-Jones, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, McKesson Corporation, U.S. Pharmaceutical Group shares her thoughts and experiences on her 20 years of experience working in the field of human resources. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 44 - Priscilla Stewart-Jones Presentation - Part 2

Priscilla Stewart-Jones, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, McKesson Corporation, U.S. Pharmaceutical Group, sits down for an interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Priscilla also answers various questions from audience members. (Part 2 of 2)




4

Episode 45 - Interview with Elizabeth Lowery

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Elizabeth Lowery, Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy for General Motors, shares her insight about the responsibility of businesses to environmental concerns. She speaks about General Motor's newest innovations, including the debut and development of the Chevy Volt.




4

Episode 46 - Elizabeth Lowery Presentation - Part 1

Elizabeth Lowery, Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy for General Motors, shares her thoughts and insights in the field of environmental responsibility and its impact on General Motors. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 47 - Elizabeth Lowery Presentation - Part 2

Elizabeth Lowery, Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy for General Motors, sits down for an interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Elizabeth also answers various questions from audience members. (Part 2 of 2)




4

Episode 48 - Interview with Caroline Nahas

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Caroline Nahas, Managing Director for the Southern California Offices of Korn/Ferry International, shares her insight about executive recruitment, employment, and the economy.




4

Episode 49 - Caroline Nahas Presentation - Part 1

Caroline Nahas, Managing Director for the Southern California Offices of Korn/Ferry International, shares her thoughts and insights in the field of executive recruitment, employment, and its impact on the current state of the economy. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 54 - Interview with James Gianopulos

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, James Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, discusses his experiences of how he entered into the entertainment industry, and the challenges that face him in his day to day duties.




4

Episode 64 - Ned Barnholt Presentation - Part 1

Ned Barnholt, Founding CEO of Agilent Technologies ,shares his lessons learned on leadership as well as experiences at both HP and Agilent. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 74 - Deborah Nelson Presentation - Part 2

Deborah Nelson, Chief of Staff Enterprise Sales, Marketing and Strategy at Hewlett-Packard Company sits down for an interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Dean of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Deborah also answers various questions from audience members. (Part 2 of 2)




4

Episode 84 - Interview with Jerry Wilson

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Jerry Wilson, Senior Vice President, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer for the Coca-Cola Company talks about his 23 year career and shares some of the wisdom he has learned.




4

Episode 94 - Dennis Kuhl Presentation - Part 1

Dennis Kuhl, Chairman of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, discusses leadership and his career path that brought him to the Angels. (Part 1 of 2)




4

Episode 104 - Interview with Gary Burnison

In a personal interview with Dr. Linda Livingstone, Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn/Ferry International talks about his career path, as well as the importance of ethics and ethical leadership.




4

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-4 macOS Sonoma 14.7.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-4 macOS Sonoma 14.7.1

macOS Sonoma 14.7.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121570.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

App Support
Available for: macOS Sonoma
Impact: A malicious app may be able to run arbitrary shortcuts without
user...




4

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-5 macOS Ventura 13.7.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-5 macOS Ventura 13.7.1

macOS Ventura 13.7.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121568.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

App Support
Available for: macOS Ventura
Impact: A malicious app may be able to run arbitrary shortcuts without
user...




4

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-6 watchOS 11.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-6 watchOS 11.1

watchOS 11.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121565.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

Accessibility
Available for: Apple Watch Series 6 and later
Impact: An attacker with physical access to a locked device may be able
to...




4

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-7 tvOS 18.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-7 tvOS 18.1

tvOS 18.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121569.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

App Support
Available for: Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models)
Impact: A malicious app may be able to run arbitrary shortcuts without...




4

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-8 visionOS 2.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

APPLE-SA-10-28-2024-8 visionOS 2.1

visionOS 2.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121566.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

App Support
Available for: Apple Vision Pro
Impact: A malicious app may be able to run arbitrary shortcuts without
user consent...




4

SEC Consult SA-20241023-0 :: Authenticated Remote Code Execution in Multiple Xerox printers (CVE-2024-6333)

Posted by SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab via Fulldisclosure on Oct 28

SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20241023-0 >
=======================================================================
title: Authenticated Remote Code Execution
product: Multiple Xerox printers
(EC80xx, AltaLink, VersaLink, WorkCentre)
 vulnerable version: see vulnerable versions below
fixed version: see solution section below
CVE number: CVE-2024-6333...




4

SEC Consult SA-20241030-0 :: Query Filter Injection in Ping Identity PingIDM (formerly known as ForgeRock Identity Management) (CVE-2024-23600)

Posted by SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab via Fulldisclosure on Oct 31

SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20241030-0 >
=======================================================================
title: Query Filter Injection
product: Ping Identity PingIDM (formerly known as ForgeRock Identity
Management)
vulnerable version: v7.0.0 - v7.5.0 (and older unsupported versions)
fixed version: various patches; v8.0
CVE number:...




4

APPLE-SA-10-29-2024-1 Safari 18.1

Posted by Apple Product Security via Fulldisclosure on Oct 31

APPLE-SA-10-29-2024-1 Safari 18.1

Safari 18.1 addresses the following issues.
Information about the security content is also available at
https://support.apple.com/121571.

Apple maintains a Security Releases page at
https://support.apple.com/100100 which lists recent
software updates with security advisories.

Safari Downloads
Available for: macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma
Impact: An attacker may be able to misuse a trust relationship to...




4

4 vulnerabilities in ibmsecurity

Posted by Pierre Kim on Nov 03

## Advisory Information

Title: 4 vulnerabilities in ibmsecurity
Advisory URL: https://pierrekim.github.io/advisories/2024-ibmsecurity.txt
Blog URL: https://pierrekim.github.io/blog/2024-11-01-ibmsecurity-4-vulnerabilities.html
Date published: 2024-11-01
Vendors contacted: IBM
Release mode: Released
CVE: CVE-2024-31871, CVE-2024-31872, CVE-2024-31873, CVE-2024-31874

## Product description

## Vulnerability Summary

Vulnerable versions:...




4

SEC Consult SA-20241107-0 :: Multiple Vulnerabilities in HASOMED Elefant and Elefant Software Updater

Posted by SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab via Fulldisclosure on Nov 09

SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20241107-0 >
=======================================================================
title: Multiple Vulnerabilities
product: HASOMED Elefant and Elefant Software Updater
vulnerable version: <24.04.00, Elefant Software Updater <1.4.2.1811
fixed version: 24.04.00, Elefant Software Updater 1.4.2.1811
CVE number: CVE-2024-50588,...




4

SEC Consult SA-20241112-0 :: Multiple vulnerabilities in Siemens Energy Omnivise T3000 (CVE-2024-38876, CVE-2024-38877, CVE-2024-38878, CVE-2024-38879)

Posted by SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab via Fulldisclosure on Nov 12

SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20241112-0 >
=======================================================================
title: Multiple vulnerabilities
product: Siemens Energy Omnivise T3000
vulnerable version: >=8.2 SP3
fixed version: see solution section
CVE number: CVE-2024-38876, CVE-2024-38877, CVE-2024-38878, CVE-2024-38879
impact: High...




4

[WA] Quilton 3-Ply Toilet Paper 36-Pack $14.99 @ Spudshed, Jandakot

Since we all love tp, especially Quilton tp.
New-look launch offer at Jandakot store. $0.416 per roll.




4

[Backorder] Uno Flip Card Game $4.95 + Delivery ($0 with Prime/ $59 Spend) @ Amazon AU

Uno Flip is on sale for the lowest price I have personally seen. Usually around $9 or $10

Would be a great stocking filler




4

TRIBIT StormBox Blast 2 Bluetooth Speaker 200W Bluetooth 5.4 IP67 Custom EQ 30H Battery $375.20 Delivered @ Tribit AU via Amazon

tick 20% coupon before adding to cart. coupons are most likely limited.

early discount on new speaker just released (release date 21 Oct) from Tribit. most likely to get more reviews.

30 hour* battery life won't be at max volume. probably at only 50% volume.

Item dimension
L x W x H
47.6 x 19.3 x 25.9 centimetres

About this item

〖Explosive 200W Output〗: Featuring an 80W subwoofer with diamond reinforcement ribs, dual 45W mid-range drivers, and two 15W tweeters, this speaker for party delivers precise beats and notes. Its 2.1 channel design, powered by two advanced TI amplifiers, ensures balanced and dynamic sound, while dual large passive radiators enhance the bass for deeper resonance.
〖Fun & Interactive Karaoke〗: Host the ultimate karaoke party with the TRIBIT speaker! Featuring professional-grade karaoke with adjustable Reverb effects, this versatile speaker supports dual wired and wireless microphones. With two 6.35mm inputs for wired mics, you can easily adjust the volume and bring the party to life!
〖Customized Dynamic Lighting〗: Pump up your party with a stunning light show that can be synced to the pulse and rhythm of the song playing per time. Pick up your favorite lighting color in the TRIBIT App to add a vibrant touch to bar dance parties, family gatherings, and everything in between.
〖Unstoppable 30-Hour Playtime〗: Power through day, night, and beyond with the TRIBIT speaker! With an impressive 30-hour playtime, this speaker has enough energy to keep the fun going until the end of the night. Plus, its colossal battery capacity allows you to charge your phone and other devices, ensuring the entertaining vibes never stop!
〖TRIBIT X-3D Sound Effect〗: Transform your gathering into a virtual concert extravaganza with the TRIBIT portable speaker! Featuring TRIBIT's innovative X-3D algorithm, you'll be enveloped in immersive sound that adds an extra layer of excitement to every moment, making your experiences more fun and unforgettable!





4

[Kogan First] Electric Gooseneck Kettle 0.6L Matte Black $24.99 Delivered @ Kogan

Good price on a gooseneck. Great for pourovers.


  • Matte black gooseneck kettle
  • Design allows for precision pours
  • 0.6L Capacity
  • 360° Rotating base
  • LED Light on/off switch
  • Dry boil protection
  • Strix control
  • Cord storage




4

[VIC] DGtek Fibre Network FTTP 150/150 Plan: $49/M for 9 Months (Limited Areas, New Customers) @ Pineapple Net

PineappleNet has a Black Friday special for home internet - $49 for 150Mbps symmetrical speeds. Certainly a lot better prices, speed and service than NBN.

PineappleNet is a reseller of the DGTek fibre network, who operate only in buildings in very limited areas near Melbourne CBD and some South Eastern suburbs. And not in every building, so check your address to see if they're available.

I've been a customer for over 2 years and very happy to recommend.

Referral solicitation removed — Mod.

Note: This is not NBN FTTP.




4

LG Resu 16 Prime (High Voltage 3-Phase Home Battery) $10,995 Installed with Solis 10kW 3p 4MPPT Hybrid Inverter @ Kenny Solar

LG RESU16H Prime + Solis S6-EH3P10K-H-AU (AS4777-2 2020)

Part of the latest generation 3 series in the LG RESU line-up. The RESU16H Prime is the largest lithium-ion residential battery storage in the world, supplying a total energy capacity of 16 kWh. The latest RESU16H Prime provides an all-new continuous power rating of 7 kW and a peak rating of 11 kW. This increased peak power enables homeowners to backup high-surge power appliance loads like air-conditioning units and pumps.

The 16 kWh battery features industry-leading continuous power, storage capacity, and DC round-trip efficiency (>90%). Stackable to 32 kWh of energy storage capacity, the RESU16H Prime can fully cover an average daily electricity use of a home.

SPECS
Electrical Characteristics
Nominal Energy 16.45 kWh
Usable Energy1) 16.0 kWh @77°F (25°C)
Voltage Range Charge 420 ~ 450 VDC
Discharge 350 ~ 410VDC
Max. Charge/Discharge Current 20A@350V
Max. Charge/Discharge Power 7 kW
Peak Power (only discharging)2) 11 kW for 10 sec.
Peak Current (only discharging) 32.8A for 10 sec.
Battery Chemistry Lithium Ion
Communication Interface RS485/CAN
DC Protection Circuit Breaker, Fuse, DCDC converter
(Short Circuit Current : 1.616kA)
Connection Method Spring Type Connector
User interface LEDs for Normal and Fault operation
Protection Features Over Voltage / Over Current /
short circuit / Reverse Polarity
Scalability
(Total Energy, Max. Charge/Discharge Power)
Max. 2 in parallel
(32.0 kWh @77°F (25°C), 14kW)

Only 14 units left in total

Happy to quote on PV installation also.
Price includes installation in Standard metro in WA, NSW, VIC, QLD
travel or freight is an additional charge

Kenny Solar
1300882990
www.kennysolar.com.au
info@kennysolar.com.au




4

TaylorMade Spider 24 Mallet Putter $319.99 Each (Save $80) Delivered @ GolfBox

Main link is for the double bend model. Slant neck is also available at the same price: https://www.golfbox.com.au/clubs/taylormade-spider-24-putter…

Left and right hand available in 34 and 35 inch lengths. Red and Ghost White colours available in various configurations.

Good price for a high quality putter.

Also available, the TaylorMade Spider Tour range for $439.99 (save $110): https://www.golfbox.com.au/search?q=taylormade%20spider%20to…

Also available, Bettinardi 2022 Inovai 8.0 Putter - Spud in right hand 35 inch only for $349.99 (save $330): https://www.golfbox.com.au/clubs/bettinardi-2022-inovai-8-0-…



  • Sports &amp; Outdoors
  • Golf Clubs (golfing equipment)
  • TaylorMade

4

Belly Me Probiotic Range 60ml - 1 for $2.45 (Usually $4.90 Each) @ Coles

Decent interest in this product when it was last posted here
And it seemed to have not been highlighted in the weekly coles round up.

Tastes gross imo - jury is still out on if this is all just mind games. My various avenues of self sabotage probably doesnt help.

My misso seems to like them though. She rates the digest cleanse ones
I've been taking the energy fuel one




4

Cold Power Advanced Clean, Liquid Laundry Detergent, 4L $18 ($16.20 S&S) + Delivery ($0 with Prime/ $59 Spend) @ Amazon AU

Cold Power Advanced Clean, Liquid Laundry Detergent, 4L $18 ($16.20 S&S) + Delivery ($0 with Prime/ $59 Spend) @ Amazon AU

  • Advanced cleaning technology effectively removes tough stains and dirt.
  • Infused with a refreshing lemon fragrance.
  • Provides a deep clean while being gentle on clothes and colors.
  • Suitable for use on a wide range of fabrics
    Can be used for both everyday laundry.




4

8BitDo Ultimate 2C Black Myth: Wukong Edition Wired US$19.02 (~A$29.18) Wireless US$28.27 (~A$43.37) Del @ 8Bitdo AliExpress

Back with another negotiated deal and this time it's on the 8Bitdo Ultimate 2C Black Myth: Wukong Limited Edition in both the wired and wireless variants. It beats the previous deal, still beats $69.95 at EB Games and ships from 8BitDo's official store.

The Ultimate 2C improves upon the original by introducing Bluetooth connectivity alongside 2.4G wireless, hall effect joysticks/triggers, customisable R4/L4 buttons and tactile switches. Comparison here.

  • Apply the coupons 8BITDOVIPAU and AU1132

AU$ based on current Mastercard rate, GST inclusive and stacks with cashback.


For those paying in USD this is how you get the correct exchange rate in PayPal:

Setting overseas websites to AUD or letting PayPal do the currency conversion results in an inflated rate. To get the correct rate you need a card without international fees and do the following:

  • Set the website currency to USD
  • Checkout with PayPal
  • Select your card with no international fees
  • Click "See currency options"
  • Select USD to bill the card in USD instead of AUD
  • Proceed with checkout

Now you'll get the correct MasterCard or VISA exchange rate depending on the card.

Original Coupon Deal




4

Insta360 X3 5.7K 360° Action Camera $499 Delivered / C&C / in-Store @ Jaycar

Started looking at 360° cameras and I've got my eye on the Insta360 X3 and came across this deal which is cheaper than the current Insta360 branded deal but doesn't have the accessories.




4

[Used] Dell UltraSharp U3419W 34" UWQHD IPS 60Hz Curved Monitor (NO STAND) 3M Warranty, $199 + Del / $0 C&C @ BPC Tech

Ridiculous value for a monitor with these specs, even with no stand and shipping costs - paid $38 for StarTrack to Brisbane area, so $237 total, ordered Sunday arrived today.

Should go without saying it's not an ideal monitor for gaming, but honestly it would be plenty enjoyable for many titles imo (just not competitive shooters etc).

The screen was well packed and works perfectly, has a great picture and there were no scratches or dead pixels on my unit.

Specs:

Size & Resolution: 34-inch, UltraWide, 3440 x 1440 (WQHD)
Aspect Ratio: 21:9
Panel Type: IPS
Colour Coverage: 99% sRGB
Brightness: 300 cd/m²
Ports: USB-C (with power delivery up to 90W), HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 3.0, audio out
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Features: Built-in KVM switch, Picture-by-Picture, Picture-in-Picture
Weight: 8.2kg without stand

Pros:

  • good bit newer than popular U3415W from recent deals
  • decent brightness at 300 cd/m²
  • USB-C with solid power delivery at 90W
  • USB hub and KVM switch
  • excellent overall value

Cons:

  • 60Hz peasantry
  • useless "fast" overdrive mode (visible overshoot like if mouse trails were enabled, just don't)

Before anyone has a sook about the "free shipping over $199" like on that last thread, it's a pretty heavy unit at 8.2kg (not incl. packaging) and the exclusion is clearly stated on BPC's shipping policy page.

Cheers for the mad bargain BPC, couldn't be happier.




4

Dell G15 (5535) Gaming Laptop - AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, RTX 4060, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD $1498.20 Delivered @ Dell

Stumbled upon this well priced AMD Ryzen 7 laptop. Has well rounded specs and an RTX 4060. Feel free to experiment or wait for any stackable coupon codes along with cashback.

Specs:

Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840HS (24 MB total cache, 8 cores, up to 5.10 GHz Max Boost Clock)

Operating System
Windows 11 Home, English

Video Card
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4060, 8 GB GDDR6

Display
15.6", FHD 1920x1080, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, 3ms, ComfortView Plus, DDS, NVIDIA G-SYNC

Memory
16GB DDR5, 2x8GB, 4800MT/s; up to 32GB (5600MT/s with AMD CPU)

Storage
512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD

Ports
1 Headset (Headphone and Microphone combo) port
1 RJ45 Ethernet port
3 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports
1 HDMI 2.1 port
1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort™
1 Power Input port

Dimensions & Weight
Height (front): 21.28 mm (0.83 in.)
Height (rear): 26.15 mm (1.02 in.)
Height (peak): 26.95 mm (1.06 in.)
Width: 357.26 mm (14.07 in.)
Depth: 274.52 mm (10.80 in.)

Camera
720p at 30 fps HD RGB camera, single integrated microphon

Audio and Speakers
Stereo speakers with Realtek ALC3254, 2 x 2.5 W

Wireless
MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921, 2x2, 802.11ax, MU-MIMO, Bluetooth® wireless card

Primary Battery
6 Cell, 86 Wh, integrated

Power
330W AC adapter




4

Black Harvest Film Festival 2024 Preview

A preview of the 2024 Black Harvest Film Festival.



  • Festivals & Awards

4

Tokyo International Film Festival 2024: Godzilla Turns 70

On an amazing event in Tokyo this year in celebration of Godzilla's 70ths birthday.



  • Festivals & Awards

4

A Voice from the Great Unconscious: Tony Todd (1954-2024)

A tribute to Tony Todd.




4

World Bank Missing $41 Billion in Climate Funds – ‘40% of all disbursed climate funds’ can’t be accounted for – ‘Yet, climate activists are demanding $5 trillion in ANNUAL financing’

World Bank Missing $41 Billion in Climate Funds by Martin Armstrong A new report by Oxfam, “Climate Finance Unchecked,” has determined that the World Bank has $41 billion in unaccounted funds that were destined to fight climate change. This figure represents 40% of all disbursed climate funds by the World Bank. Oxfam’s audit revealed that between 2017 […]




4

LA CUENTA SUIZA, de Leslie Waller (Pomaire, Buenos Aires, 4ª ed.)

Título:
La cuenta suiza
Autor: Leslie Waller (1923-2007)
Título original: The Swiss account (1976)
Traducción: Aníbal Leal
Editor: Editorial Pomaire (Buenos Aires)
Edición: 4ª ed.
Fecha de edición: 1978-03
Descripción física: 542, 2 p.; 13,5x20 cm.: solapas
Estructura: 6 partes, 62 capítulos
Información sobre impresión:
Este libro se terminó de imprimir el día 24 de abril de 1978 en Imprenta de los Buenos Ayres, S.A., Rondeau 3274, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
La edición consta de seis mil ejemplares.
 
Información de contracubierta:
Suiza es un país en el que poquísimas cosas comienzan, pero muchas terminan
 
Información de solapas:
Suiza es un país en el que poquísimas cosas comienzan, pero muchas terminan
F. Scott Fitzgerald
 
A Matt Burris siempre se le encomendaban las misiones más difíciles, y si alguien podía infiltrarse en la organización bancaria suiza ése era él. Sin embargo sólo pudo cumplir su tarea utilizando recursos verdaderamente insospechados.
Margit Staeli era la heredera de una de las fortunas más grandes de Europa, pero su tío Dieter no quería mujeres a la cabeza de la empresa y confiaba en que el día que la muchacha se casara con Erich, su prometido, las cosas se solucionarían solas.
Cuando estos personajes se encuentran, la pacífica Suiza se transforma en el escenario de un juego mortal, en el que no sólo están en juego millones de francos sino también varias vidas humanas.
La novela transcurre en un ambiente de intrigas que se planean en viejas mansiones, dentro de coches de lujo que se persiguen por autopistas interminables, en restaurantes en los que hay que saber por lo menos tres idiomas para poder desayunar, en despachos desde los cuales se gobierna el mundo.
El choque producido entre las aspiraciones personales y los intereses del mundo de los negocios envuelve a los personajes en una maraña de traiciones, sexo y violencia, en medio de la cual hay, de vez en cuando, un gesto tierno, un amor auténtico, un sacrificio desinteresado.
Al atractivo del argumento hay que sumarle el interés de descubrir una imagen de un país y de ciudades que creíamos conocer. Con mucho humor y fina ironía el autor nos va presentando el rostro desconocido de los suizos.
El autor es un verdadero experto en la materia y nos revela los secretos de la evasión de divisas, de los institutos de belleza para mujeres internacionalmente famosas y de la forma cómo operan los Bancos para mantener inviolable el secreto de los depósitos que se hacen desde el extranjero.
 
Leslie Waller comenzó su carrera literaria como periodista, oficio que le permitió adentrarse en ambientes diversos y que le proporcionó un profundo conocimiento del mundo que describe. Entre sus novelas más famosas figuran The Banker, The Family y The Coast of Fear. Pasa parte del año en Nueva York y el resto en Europa.
 
MI COMENTARIO:
De las novelas de décadas pasadas que encontré en mis búsquedas, La cuenta suiza era una de las que más me intrigaba. Evidentemente, trataba sobre el manejo financiero en Suiza, pero quería saber si incluía el espionaje en su historia, y qué estilo tenía, ya que posee una cantidad de páginas importante. Debo decir que me sorprendió: Waller se toma su tiempo para realizar una radiografía no sólo de los negocios que puede tener un gran banco helvético, sino que también desnuda al país mismo. Es una verdadera novela sobre el espíritu suizo. Waller no se enfoca en el folklore o en las bellezas turísticas (aunque también aparecen), sino que nos permite conocer una sociedad cerrada (por lo menos hasta los años ’70), donde las mujeres tienen limitados derechos básicos, con los hombres poderosos decididos a mantenerlas así. Es un país retrógrado con dinero. Sin embargo, la figura de Margit Staeli, heredera de la gran fortuna familiar, educada en Estados Unidos, sexualmente activa, se erige como la posibilidad de un cambio desde adentro. Pero la novela tiene varias líneas de acción más, que van desde un intrigante negocio electrónico con empresas japonesas, hasta el delirio geopolítico de Woods Palmer, ex director ejecutivo de UBCO, uno de los mayores bancos americanos, que vive cerca de Lugano. Palmer fue protagonista de una trilogía bestseller de Waller, compuesta por El banquero (1963), La familia (1968) y El americano (1971). Alguna fuente web que no registré decía que apareció en varios libros más, aunque de forma secundaria; La cuenta suiza lo confirma (curiosamente, los sitios webs más importantes sobre ficción no certifican esta serie). Palmer mueve a Matt Burris, ejecutivo de UBCO, desde su puesto en Japón a Basilea para que contribuya con una misión secreta a tomar el control de las finanzas del país. En una charla con Curtis, encargado de las operaciones secretas de UBCO, el director retirado confiesa sus propósitos megalómanos:

—Hay que aprender a descifrar el lenguaje de los economistas —dijo (Palmer)—. Más de la mitad del mundo se encuentra en vísperas de graves problemas. Pero nosotros no formamos parte de esa mitad.
—Me alegra saberlo. ¿Quién los sufrirá?
—Los pueblos subdesarrollados —Palmer esbozó un gesto—. Yo no inventé el término. La gente marginal está demás. No se trata de los desocupados. Demonios, eso puede ocurrirle a cualquiera. Ocurre que esa gente no sabe hacer nada que le permita ganarse la vida.
—¿Ni siquiera cavar zanjas?
—Ni siquiera eso. Las máquinas lo hacen cien veces mejor y más rápido.
—¿Cultivar alimentos, o algodón?
—Muy pronto no se necesitarán brazos para ejecutar esas tareas —dijo Palmer con una sonrisa seca—. Ahora todo se hace con máquinas. Antiguamente un campesino de los lugares más remotos de África o Vietnam podía cultivar mijo o arroz, o cualquier cosa que le permitía vivir, con un pequeño sobrante que canjeaba por otros artículos necesarios. Pero la sequía está destruyéndolo, y el bajo costo de los granos producidos con máquinas viene a completar la tarea. Está acabado. Se muere ante nuestros propios ojos. Lo único que puede asegurarse con certeza es que el hambre se agravará cada vez más.
—Pero podemos enviarles lo que necesitan.
—¿Beneficencia?
—¿Por qué no? —insistió Curtis—. Lo hemos hecho durante generaciones en beneficio de los habitantes marginales de Estados Unidos.
Palmer meneó la cabeza.
—No hay mucho sentimentalismo en los dirigentes de los países prósperos. Exceso de inflación, que perjudica a demasiada gente. Un político que enviara alimentos a los pueblos hambrientos de la tierra no duraría una semana.
—¿De modo que tienen que morir?
Palmer guardó silencio, los ojos fijos en la palma de la mano, con los dedos extendidos.
—Tienen que morir.
Curtis se puso de pie y caminó hacia el ventanal.
—Y nosotros seremos los dueños de la tierra, ¿verdad?
—Eso mismo —confirmó Palmer—. Hemos infligido algún daño a nuestra ecología. Pero podemos repararlo si queremos. El problema es que nadie demuestra interés en eso. Porque además hemos hecho cosas peores aún con nuestro sistema de distribución. Un daño irreparable e incurable. De modo que esta gente tendrá que morir para que nosotros nos conservemos sanos y comamos más de lo que necesitamos.
—Y estemos ocupados ganando dinero.
Palmer levantó la vista para ver a Curtis que regresaba a su asiento.
—Eso se sobreentiende —dijo secamente.

Las palabras de Palmer suenan tan siniestras como actuales.
Entre Palmer y la familia Staeli se desarrolla una secreta partida de ajedrez, con mucho espionaje cruzado y un renovado romance entre Margit y Burris, que ya se conocían. El desenlace se acelera con la utilización de calculadoras electrónicas que funcionan como aparatos de filtración de conversaciones, manejados desde Japón. Una vez más queda claro que la ambición de poder siempre necesitará obtener, legal o ilegalmente, la información necesaria para tomar decisiones. Lo que uno teme es que la tecnología quizás evolucionó demasiado desde la publicación de esta novela, aumentando su capacidad de ser manipulada. Los Palmer de ahora están más cerca de conseguir sus objetivos.




4

Alain Delon (1935-2024)

Hoy pasó una de esas cosas que uno sabe que ocurrirá en algún momento, pero igualmente no quiere que pase. La muerte de Alain Delon es el recordatorio que existió algo llamado cine. También convierte en monumento, en escultura, una parte feliz de quienes disfrutamos, aprendimos, “nos dimos cuenta” con sus películas.
Delon dejó una interesante colección de films de espionaje: The Assassination of Trotsky (Joseph Losey, 1972), Scorpio (Michael Winner, 1973), Armaguedon (Alain Jessua, 1977), Mort d’un pourri (Georges Lautner, 1977), The Concorde... Airport ’79 (David Lowell Rich, 1979), 3 hommes à abattre (Jacques Deray, 1980), Tegeran-43 (Aleksandr Alov y Vladimir Naumov, 1981) y Le choc (Robin Davis, 1982). Recomiendo sobre todo Mort d’un pourri (Muerte de un corrupto), una película profética que anticipó el imperio de las finanzas que finalmente se ha impuesto en el mundo.
Como dice el título de la película que hizo con Charles Bronson: ADIEU L’AMI.




4

ALPHAVILLE 4K

New release: Kino Lorber has announced a new 4k edition of Alphaville! Godard's classic is a wonderful cocktail of detective noir, secret agents, and science fiction. A must see! From the press release: "Kino Lorber have detailed their upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965), starring Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Michel Delahaye, and Christa Lang. The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on August 13. Synopsis: Government agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) is dispatched on a secret mission to Alphaville, a dystopian metropolis in a distant corner of the galaxy. Caution is hot on the trail of rogue agent Henri Dickson (Akim Tamiroff) and a scientist named Von Braun, the creator of Alpha 60, a computer that uses mind control to rule over residents of Alphaville. Caution is aided in his quest to destroy the despotic computer ruler by Von Braun's own daughter, Natacha (Anna Karina).

Special Features and Technical Specs:NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE OCN BY STUDIOCANAL (2023)
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
Anna Karina Interview (4:31)
Colin McCabe Introduction (5:26)
Includes Both Original French and English Audio with Optional English Subtitles
Theatrical Trailer
Limited Edition Reversible Art and O-Card Slipcase
Optional English Subtitles"

More info at Blu-ray


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