Risk and Opportunity 2021

 

A Baker's Dozen of non-Covid  Significant Risk and Opportunity Themes We Face in 2021 - in no particular order.

1.    The Pace of Healing of Divisiveness and Polarisation in the USA.

2.     The low interest rate environment impacting on macroeconomic policy, fiscal management, investment options and personal financing.

3.    Life after Brexit in Britain.

4.    How China, Russia, America, Japan and Europe make their next moves on the chess board.

5.    Trying to rebounce the dynamics of international travel.

6.     Rising use of AI and the evolving transformation of consumer experience.

7.     Oligopolistic business  ownership in technology, health, social media, energy, transport, resource extraction and agricultural sectors.

8.     Compromised and hidden relationships in managing a nation's key assets and strategic parameters.

9.      Changes in the evolving nature of financial currency, market value chains, banking and trading mechanisms.

10.   Continued transformation of mindsets and practice in the political spectrum, including nationalism, modification of democratic practices, heartlander alienation and promotion of cultural uniqueness.

11.   Rising  concerns about intrusions into personal privacy and data utilised for dubious purposes, coupled with more access to overloads of misleading information and news.

12.    The role of world dependence on petroleum in the complex geopolitical stage of the Middle East.

#yongkevthoughts

Too Late, Too Little

 

15 January 2021 - It is said, in Los Angeles County, California, that a person dies of Covid 19 every eight minutes.

The quality and effectiveness of your political leaders in decision making inevitably affects your life, even if you do everything otherwise possible, especially in an epidemic.

The reality at ground level is at best inconvenience.  Worse are the long term negative effects suffered by Covid 19 survivors, the battered impact on front line and public service workers and the raging number of fatalities as various strains of the latest Coronavirus rampage throughout so many communities.

"Out of control" is being unable to cope with an overstrained health support system, the decimation of prospects and hope, the lingering imposition of uncertainty,   unnecessary Covid leakage opportunities, politicisation prioritised over other requirements and headless chicken reaction when contact tracing is no longer viable.

And yes, mass vaccination and roll out issues may not fulfil all their promises.

When reality is tarred with incompetence, every new day can be more Covid deadly than the day before.

#yongkevthoughts
#coronavirus

Eating Out in Covid Times

 Eating out since Covid 19 emerged has changed the related flavour, experience and satisfaction - and I am not talking  about the food.

For starters, we are not even sure if the place is open, when we want to go visit.  Many outlets no longer make it a disciplined effort to update on websites their opening hours or when they do close, due to some 24 hour given notice of lockdown authorised by people external to the hospitality industry.

If we then arrive at the venue of an open cafe, restaurant or pop up outlet, we most likely see eager customers patiently lining up outside the door.
They are not in queue to purchase tickets for a good gig (that is rare now) or a fantastic physical reality sale ( online is so convenient now, except for  possible hiccups in the  parcel collection process).

Instead we are subject to mindfulness about social distancing requirements - that ever changing rule on how many square metres we have to be from the nearest human being, or group of strangers also here to get some food.  There can be tape markers on the floor or seats to help us realise this new normal. 

To discourage us spewing our unwanted DNA or simple saliva,  we are to face mask up at any indoor venue - or in this case of munch places, only allowed to remove the contraption when we actually eat.

When we do enter the dining place, we are asked to compromise our personal privacy by using the QR scan code - and no smiling please. 
Even if we want to pull up our own buckstraps of responsibility, the powers that be operating the related phone apps have a rather patchy reputation in having stored data hacked - or just may be relishing in tracking our where abouts for their own discretionary use.

We all want to fight the Covid  - but would it not be easier to not let the Coronavirus breach our borders, not come in to circulate and inevitably not make us commoners run around like headless chickens in trying to comply with ever changing, minutely detailed rules?

The reality is that best public health management can often be superseded by political opportunism, economic priorities and other deserving or not so reasonable precedents, especially when the powers that be exceedingly remind us daily that they are following best medical and scientific advice.

Back to our eating venue - and we finally get a table, precisely placed to not let us be bothered by being too near to people we do not know in this infectious Covid strain age.

There are hand sanitisers placed at the venue - and we appreciate such thoughtfulness.  The success of any anti-Covid measure depends on the management of its weakest points in the process. Here at our table are usually menus that have been used by others, tap water bottles that are shared around and condiment containers that cannot be provided individually.  A few outstanding places are aware of such potential transmission weak points, and take extra careful steps - this is much appreciated and hey, we all have to get practical when we eat out.

Nobody has contracted Covid 19 from consuming food.  It is the environment where food and drinks are served  commercially that increases or decreases infection risks.

Small and tight indoor spaces with poor air circulation are the canaries in the Covid infection coalmine.  Where you see groups huddled together inside venues, the risks increase further.  Add a relaxed atmosphere, where customers let down their guard and understandably have Covid as the last thing on their minds, for a change.

Most Covid outbreaks identified in Australia so far have been caught through leakage from overseas arrivals. The Covid then spreads to household family clusters or in crowded social hubs like pubs and RSL clubs or to vulnerable aged care residents who live in closed up facilities.  Ah yes, infectees who show no Covid symptoms do go to dine in restaurants and Covid jumps over to other customers there.

It is essential to our mental health that we can still dine in at venues, even when some governments are not willing to exterminate Covid. It is vital to small businesses and the economy that eating outlets are allowed to operate with optimal arrangements that benefit both providers and customers. 

#yongkevthoughts

The Wonders of Western Australia

 An Indian Ocean coastal sunset.

The foreshore at Sorrento, one of my favourite parts of Perth WA.

Trail walking rewards you in the Woop Woop.

The shallow waters at Shark Bay give you a fascinating discovery, if you look close up enough.

Noon at Carnarvon, with palm trees along the promenade.

At least I knew definitely where I was, in a land so vast.

Where the marine sports lovers gather - Exmouth Peninsula, north west of WA.

Sand so finely grained, waters so pure.

No, they are not lining up to wee.

Waiting for the dolphins at Monkey Mia.

I was not going to climb that, just looking.

Relaunch of Blog Photos - Look Back at Some Favs

 

THE YEAR THAT DID NOT BREAK MY HEART

Today I dropped by to see a person who always smiled instinctively upon seeing me.  Behind both our facemasks, there is yet no barrier, as our hearts

can willingly read each other’s.   We did not have to see each other often, but when we do, we left each other with an inner glow in each of us.  Behind the easy conversation was an affirmation of the friendship, through times hard, easy and neutral. 

 

You instinctively know when there is an instant connection with some individuals we are fortunate enough to come across, in this journey of life.   This connection cannot be whittled, despite we being significantly barred from travel for no fault of our own. 

 

The year past – 2020 to be precise – had seen our individual and community lives thrown around raggedly at times by external forces, some unwittingly, others manipulative and overall layered with a necessary or unnecessary uncertainty, imbued with their true colours in all hues of impact.

 

There were times of incompetent political leadership, which had innocent people unnecessarily pay with their lives, frustration and disruption experienced. It has opened our eyes to being caught in a system of being dependent on the vagaries of big government in the important aspects of our individual lives.   We have witnessed how the irresponsible behavior of a few can cause pervasive inconvenience to the majority.   We have seen how important issues can be side stepped, biased exemptions given in requirements, lessons not learnt and how mistakes committed are blindsided as if they did not exist.     We have seen how inaction, by our so called democratically elected leaders, to prevent has caused the proverbial horse to already bolt, followed by a desperate circus of rushed reaction in society.

 

The silver lining in all this is that such a situation has truly opened our eyes, our hearts and our determination.   A worldwide crisis has given us this opportunity, not only with national, state and city affairs, but also in our personal interactions with others.

 

I have observed how individuals – including me – cope in different ways.  I have had to whittle expectations taken for granted.  I have had to change my daily regime. I happily reaffirmed how fresh air, exercise outdoors and enjoying what Nature readily gives us.   I realized sufficiently to remove layers of commercialism weaved upon me by the contemporary world before Covid-19 arrived. 

 

Still, I realized how small my village is – and then at the same time, how varied and larger its delightful offerings can be.  With a borrowed feisty and good natured five year old Cavoodle, Tia, my senses were heightened when we went for our walks or runs.   Flora and fauna thrived when the human kingdom was put under all sorts of restrictions.  Most passerby strangers did respond positively when I took the initiative to say Hello first, as before Covid.

 

The flow of fresh air through our bodily functions was felt with gratitude, especially when 2020 came with heavily polluted skies and tragic bushfires in my part of Earth.   I have had to endure four waves of Covid clusters of varying intensity in the past year. Many others had to put up with much more than I did.  I first put on weight – and then got wiser by utilizing food consumption as manna and - and all the previous years of eating out has come in useful to build up my craft in using ingredients, flavours and texture in a more purposeful way. 

 

I learnt the joy of de-cluttering physical possessions I have not used or need.  The absence of physical contact, with people I truly care about, meant using more contactless ways in cyberspace.  Lockdown and mobility restrictions, imposed by the powers that be, were surpassed by so much more freedom connecting through the invisible forces in the air.  I miss air travel, as my country has locked down getting out of national and state borders on a varying basis since late March 2020.  I have had to imagine my flight is in my home lounge, with click on entertainment from streaming, box like meals and having a bit of perceived luxury while being confined to home at various times of the year.

 

On a not so bright side, as life can be, there are individuals, with whom I have built up friendships, drop me like a bomb or do not return my calls when perhaps they find me no longer useful to their selfish world.   This strongly reminded me of a particular group of people I know, who valued their pre-Christmas drinks at some Collegians Club two years ago, more than their friendship with me – which I have learnt from the hard way.  There are bogans in my region who have lashed out verbally at me for no reason in public places – and I have decided not to go to their level.   There is joy when not reacting to people who obviously do not care about me, especially in a Covid year.   More engaging to me are individuals who take time and effort to enjoy mutual relationships when it was a year which has tried to break something in each of us.

 

So in the year that not break my heart, I want to say my appreciation to special individuals, whether they are blood relatives or not, who have given me that special magic, when I did need it, in their own special way.  You know who you are.   I tend to over analyse and chatter, but in this respect, I do bask in your gift to me.

 

The year that is past can at times make us feel we are deserted on a remote island. The spark from true and deserving friendships has subdued what the effects of Covid and poor Covid management in our society have threatened to do.   Thank you to each of you who built my resilience, gave me joy at unexpected moments and made me realise we have our personal integrity and purpose to face whatever Covid can throw at us.

yongkevthoughts