Tuesday - Thursday, February 16 - 18 2010 (diary)

The Surf Life Savers are doing a splendid job. More than 40 people in Australia have drowned in the sea since last July (2009), but not a single one on any of the numerous patrolled beaches anywhere along Australia's coast. It sends a strong message to every swimmer : "Swim between the (red/yellow) Flags" (the areas covered by the Life Savers).

They also used to have a simple visual warning system for swimmers : three flags, one green indicating safe swimming conditions, one yellow warning for potential hazards, and one red for beach closed, unsafe for swimming.

Since my arrival here at the Sunshine Coast last November I have been to the beach virtually every day, all up some 90 consecutive days. But despite several days with no winds or waves to speak of, the green flags have been out not once! Why is this ?

The answer is simple : fear of litigation. If the green flag is out and a swimmer injures himself in the surf he can sue the Life Savers or the local Council for damages.
Reaction by the Life Savers : no more green flags. And who can blame them for that !!

As a result swimming has become in fact more hazardous. Because the yellow flags have become meaningless and swimmers (me included) have become complacent.
To a lesser degree the same has happened with the beach notice boards for stingers (blue bottles and other yellyfish). With even the slightest chance of a stinger lurking somewhere in the water the signs are out, so that now nobody appears to take much notice anymore.

This is just a small example of where we have arrived at in this so-called modern world on so many fronts : one "R" word, (individual) RIGHTS has almost totally replaced another one, (individual) RESPONSIBILITY. Not until we have restored a healthy balance between these two will the Green flags come back out again on the Australian beaches. And only then will our world become a more tolerant and honest place to live.

Friday & Saturday, February 19 & 20 2010 (diary)

Friday I drop my laptop off at Kimnat Computers in Woombye for an upgrade from 'Vista' to 'Windows 7', in the hope that will speed up my laptop operations. Then on to a morning session of bridge and my usual swim in the afternoon.

Saturday afternoon I pick up my laptop. Frankly I don't see much of an improvement with 'Windows 7'. It does not operate any faster and has a few small omissions from Vista (especially affecting my online Blog writing) which I find most annoying. I have half a mind to go back to my old 'Vista'. We will see.

In the evening things are fine however, as I take Babette and Doug to Restaurant Chez Claude for dinner. We have an outstandingly excellent meal, accompanied by a glass of French champagne (flutes filled to the brim!) and a couple of bottles of Chateau Les Bertrands Merlot (30% Cabernet-Sauvignon, Bordeaux 2007 "delivered from vines older than 25 years") which we all enjoy.
I emailed 'Chateau Les Bertrands' after my previous meal at 'Chez Claude', complimenting them on their excellent wine. They replied with a thank you and wish I would drink many more of their bottles. To attest to this fact I have sent them above photo as proof after our return home today.