Tuesday - Thursday, February 1 - 3 2011 (diary)

Category 5 cyclone Yasi hit the North Queensland coast last evening (Feb.2) a few hours before midnight. It did devastating damage to several small towns between Cairns and Townsville, but these latter two main centres escaped with only minor damage. It is the severest cyclone to hit Queensland in almost 100 years.
No loss of life or serious injury has been reported to date, thanks, to a large degree, to very professional preparations and evacuations prior to Yaki's arrival! Well done Queensland authoritie!!

Cyclone Yaki's position shown on above central diagram was at around 4AM this morning (Feb.3). The cyclone is now moving farther inland on a WSW course and has weakened to a Category 2. But damaging effects may be sustained in places as far as Mt.Isa and Camoweal 1000-1200km from the coast.

I myself am well out off the danger zone at the Sunshine Coast in SE Queensland, as shown by the lower red dot on above picture on the left. Darwin, also out off danger is located at the upper red dot.

I have been much impressed by Queensland's Premier, Anna Bligh performance during these last two major natural disasters within such a short period of time. She clearly is right on top of the rescue and repair efforts and with her calm collected attitude is doing (through regular well informed TV performances) much to reassure all concerned that they are in good, caring, professional hands.
In stark contrast our Federal Prime Minister Julia Gillard conducts rather soppy TV performances full of generalities which appear to be more aimed at enhancing her own stature with voters than at anything else.

Friday & Saturday, February 4 & 5 2011 (diary)

Woke up Friday morning and when I looked in the mirror discovered that I had a black right eye. No idea how that happened, but perhaps a small bursted vein. All the same I went to the GP to check it out. I have been on a new trial prescription for my blood pressure these last 10 days and just wanted to make sure that it had nothing to do with that. The GP reassured me, but I have gone back to my old prescription, I feel more comfortable with that. My blood pressure is (according to the GP) "spectacularly good for my age" : 130/75, so that is pleasing.

My son Jeroen, a loss assessor by profession, flew in from Darwin two weeks ago to help out with assessing the damage done by the recent flooding of Brisbane, and before returning to Darwin this Sunday he is visiting us at the Sunshine Coast for two days.

It was good to see my two children, Babette and Jeroen, touching base again. They are both very busy people, living 3000 km apart and therefore get that chance not too often.
Saturday evening the four of us went to the nearby French restaurant Chez Claude for dinner, and as usual we had there a great meal again.

Sunday & Monday, February 6 & 7 2011 (diary, Philosophy of Happiness)

I have just completed another addition (Nr.11) to my series on the Philosophy of Happiness. It is based on, and inspired by, an article in the weekly International Magazine The Economist entitled "The U-bend of Life" (December 18, 2010 - page 33) which I read over Christmas.   There is no need to duplicate it here, just click on this link if you would like to read it.

I am working on yet one more addition to the series which will also come online shortly. After that I will upload an upgraded download file which will included the complete new 12 part series.

Tuesday - Thursday, February 8 - 10 2011 (diary, Philosophy of Happiness)

I have just completed Chapter 12 of my Philosophy of Happiness series, and that should be the last one, at least for the time being. I also put a new Version 2011 download online in case you are interested.

Last night (Wednesday) I played bridge at the Sunshine Coast Bridge Club in Buderim. I had never been there before. A pleasant evening, with 10 tables competing, but a very sedate lot compared to our sometimes rowdy Darwin evenings. They have no license but you can bring your own wine or beer. I might do that if I go again. It was nice though to catch up with some of my old Bridge students from many years back, including one form Bougainville (1977).